Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd has known as out the management of West Coast for not offering Harley Reid with the absolute best atmosphere, as he offers with ongoing self-discipline points.
The 20-year-old has put the items collectively within the second half of 2025, and was clearly their finest participant of their spherical 18 loss to Port Adelaide.
Nevertheless, he gave away six free kicks within the recreation and got into multiple heated stoushes with Power star Jason Horne-Francis.
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Reid has given away extra free kicks than every other participant within the competitors this season, averaging 3.1 per recreation.
And Lloyd believes it’s a damning reflection of the shortage of management across the former No.1 draft decide, each on and off the sector at West Coast.
Harley Reid and Jason Horne-Francis go at it. Fox Footy
“I am unable to consider it is nonetheless at this level the place, he was their finest participant on the weekend so an enormous tick for that, however he gave away six free kicks,” Lloyd advised 9’s Footy Labeled.
“He has given away essentially the most free kicks of any participant this 12 months by a protracted, good distance.
“Whether or not it is coaches, I am speaking senior gamers too, everybody, that he’s nonetheless combating and scrapping all day lengthy.
“All it’s is ‘we love what you are doing, your soccer is on an ideal trajectory, however have a look at this free kick depend, we’re struggling to win video games and this isn’t serving to us win video games and the power you might be losing Harley, what are you doing?’.
“I am positive they’ve tried, but when they have not it wants to come back.”
9 AFL journalist Sam McClure requested whether or not the shortage of help for Reid was an “indictment on West Coast”, to which Lloyd agreed that it was.
Brownlow Medallist Jimmy Bartel disagrees, nonetheless, saying there is not lots the Eagles might do proper now about their lack of management, given Tim Kelly has fallen away and Elliot Yeo hasn’t performed this season because of harm.
Yeo nearly single-handedly took it upon himself to guard and defend Reid at levels all through 2024 because the aspect’s midfield chief.
Elliot Yeo pulling Harley Reid away from a scrap in 2024. 9
Bartel says folks have to take a deep breath and perceive that the 20-year-old must be given time to search out his method.
“If he acquired right into a scrap (enjoying for Collingwood), there’d be a half a dozen Collingwood gamers who would step in the way in which,” Bartel mentioned.
“Elliot Yeo was an excellent help for him final 12 months, however he cannot get his physique proper.
“We’re speaking about actually skilled, hardened gamers, he is enjoying a bash and crash fashion of soccer and we have got to recollect he is solely 20.
“We’re asking for an previous head on younger shoulders. He’ll mature and he’ll get higher. The free kicks he is acquired to sharpen up on, however once you look throughout that West Coast aspect, who’s stepping in for him?
“Who’s offering the grunt and filling the void he is making an attempt to fill?”
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Harley Reid reacts to a hostile member of the group in March. 9
West Coast coach Andrew McQualter admitted that Reid must turn out to be a extra disciplined participant after the loss to Port Adelaide.
“It is actually difficult, as a result of I really like the way in which he goes about it – and I am going to say that constantly,” McQualter mentioned.
“In case you have all of the gamers being as aggressive as he’s, you are heading in the right direction.
“However he clearly crossed the road too many occasions tonight. We have had that chat with Harley already, he is aware of it.
“He will play as much as that line each single week – and that is the place we would like him. We would like it to be a dance with the road that he does not step over it.”
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley was extra dismissive of the teenager’s points, selecting to give attention to his strengths.
“I truly spoke to Harley Reid after the sport. I really like the way in which he performs footy, I actually love the way in which he performs,” Hinkley mentioned after the match.
“He is two years youthful than (Horne-Francis), they give the impression of being much like me after I watch them play footy.
“Yeah they do not all the time get it proper – I’ve mentioned this about (Horne-Francis), he will make some errors. I am not speaking about Harley, however I can discuss Jason and the place he is at in his growth.
“I feel the Eagles are fairly enthusiastic about what’s coming.”
