West Coast young gun Harley Reid says he’s honoured to carry on the rich legacy of the Eagles’ No.9 as his star reaches dizzying heights after a brilliant debut campaign.
The young midfielder from Tongala in country Victoria has taken the AFL by storm, becoming the face of the Eagles’ rebuild and revitalising hope in the fanbase.
The generational talent was taken at pick No.1 in last year’s draft and the Eagles presented him with a guernsey that has seen plenty of talent in the past.
“The history behind it is obviously huge, and it’s an honour to have that number on my back, and I think to have Nic Naitanui present my jumper and then turn it around was a pretty cool moment on draft night,” Reid told Channel 7’s The Front Bar.
“I was so honoured to take on the No.9, and you look at the locker, and you’ve got Peter Wilson, Ben Cousins and Nic Nat.”
With all of that talent and hype, the 19-year-old has faced plenty of attention on and off the field, gracing the back page of The West Australian more than 30 times in his first year as an AFL footballer.
But West Coast legend Cousins, who also made an appearance on The Front Bar alongside Naitanui, said Reid had handled the intense spotlight with aplomb.
“We haven’t seen something in Perth like what Harley’s experienced in the 12 months that he’s been there,” Cousins said.
“The strike rate on the back page and the scrutiny he’s been under has been a lot for a young kid to take on, but he has shown that he’s mature beyond his years and he’s been able to play good footy which is a credit to him.
“It’s been fantastic to see him in the short time that he’s been there make the number his own, and he’s got a huge future.”
Before getting on the airwaves, the Eagles young gun took a call from former NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony, with West Coast putting a video of the call on their socials.
Anthony tells Reid he was impressed with his highlights and loved the fact the 19-year-old brought out his iconic three-to-the-dome celebration.
He even gave Reid the official nod to incorporate an iconic celebration into his game
“Listen, you can have it over here in Australia,” he said as Reid laughed.
“Anytime you score, you got that.”
The NBA star also said he was enjoying the beauty of Australia and told Reid he wanted to come and watch one of his games.
“Some time that you’re playing I’m gonna try to catch a match in the future,” Anthony said.
The Former New York Knick and Denver Nugget who was named an All-Star 10 times and won the NBA scoring title in 2013 was in Perth last week for Hoopsfest.
Source Agencies
