Harley Reid set to spend second AFL season with West Coast Eagles under a very unique microscope

Harley Reid went to a wedding last week.

Among a group of current and former West Coast teammates, Reid enjoyed what he presumed would be a private evening celebrating Tom Barrass's nuptials. He might have had a drink or two, or maybe he didn't. It's not really for us to know.

But what we do know, thanks to the intrusive lens of an unknown wedding guest, is that Reid at some point sat next to and spoke to Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell.

Occam's Razor was quick to work reaching a conclusion that the most sought-after young footballer of his generation will be wearing brown and gold sooner rather than later.

Until next week, when Essendon will become the front runner. A caller into 6PR will soon after have it on good authority he's about to sign a 15-year deal at West Coast. Don't discount Geelong either, which is kinda close to Tongala, maybe, if you squint.

This is the atmosphere within which Harley Reid will be hoping to build a sophomore AFL season to rival and — could you imagine? — even surpass his first. It is a seriously imposing ask.

Harley Reid's future will be one of the most hotly debated stories of the 2025 season. (AFL Photos via Getty Images: Daniel Carson)

It has been noticeable that West Coast has made moves to pull Reid out of the limelight over the summer months, no doubt in reaction to the absurd and at times disrespectful coverage afforded him by some throughout 2024.

But even so, a player of his quality and a profile of such significance will find the limelight like a moth. With a bit of help from social media and regular eyeball emoji-ing by journos and ex-players on podcasts, there will be no escape for Reid in 2025.

Is it reasonable to expect a teenager to thrive on the football field under such circumstances?

ABC Sport is live blogging every round of the AFL and NRL seasons in 2025.

Young players have faced similar scenarios in the past, but there is no true one-to-one comparison for Reid's circumstances.

Jason Horne-Francis is a recent example, though his was less a rolling saga and more of an abrupt exit. Besides, there is clearly a difference in narrative around players looking to leave a Victorian club and those potentially returning to one.

There could be lessons to be found in the story of Chris Judd, though the overall landscape has changed dramatically in the 18 years since he left West Coast for Carlton. Judd is and was a very different character to Reid, too, his inner-city hyper-focus standing in stark contrast to laid-back country kid Reid.

In many ways Reid will be entirely alone in this, no matter how much support he receives from his club, management and family. It is something worth keeping in mind as his story plays out.

Another explanation for West Coast's more subdued PR push this summer is that Reid's preseason has been difficult and disjointed, with niggling injuries and an untimely concussion robbing him of momentum in the lead-up to the season.

While likely a victim of his own standards, there have been fewer reports of Reid bringing Eagles' match-sims to a bewildered stand-still this year. He missed their opening preseason hit out against Richmond, with little explanation offered.

Harley Reid's famous don't-argues took no prisoners in his first season. (Paul Kane/Getty Images)

There is a world in which Reid struggles to hit the heights again this year, weighed down by external pressures and held back by a less-than-ideal preseason. His value wouldn't decrease, but his mental state will be put under the microscope by armchair psychologists the country over.

Would all the logically available factors be taken into account if that happened? Or would it be yet more proof that his heart is elsewhere, sparking the rumour mill into life again and continuing the cycle that has swallowed up more than a few young players in recent decades? You be the judge.

Or maybe Reid will be totally fine, will smile and laugh off every question about his contract and go about majestically stiff-arming anyone who enters his orbit on the field.

The most wonderful thing about any emerging superstar in our game is that feeling of endless possibilities, of a choose-your-own-adventure unfolding in real time and there to be enjoyed by anybody open to the prospect.

Reid has even more possibilities in front of him than most. Navigating that uncertainty and making good decisions will be the deciding factor in how high up the list of greats he is able to climb throughout his career.

Most players would think a mate's wedding would be an escape from that mental load, but Harley Reid is not most players.

His gifts are a blessing and a curse. Enjoy his brilliance and by all means partake in some cheeky speculation, but it would be wise to keep both sides of that coin in mind.

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