Arabic version: هارلي ريد يعزو إيقافه إلى «ضريبة أستراليا الغربية»

According to ABC News, West Coast midfielder Harley Reid believes a two-game suspension that will rule him out of the opening two rounds of the 2027 AFL season may have been decided differently in Victoria. The Eagles unsuccessfully challenged the penalty for a dangerous tackle on Hawthorn’s Jai Newcombe.

Reid, who was crowned West Coast club champion on Friday night after winning the John Worsfold Medal, said he was disappointed by the result. “It’s that WA tax. If I was playing in Victoria I reckon we’d have had a different outcome,” he said. Eagles supporters will have to wait until round three next season to see him play.

The 21-year-old has completed his best AFL season, averaging more than 24 disposals a game, and was awarded the Geoff Christian Medal as the ABC’s best WA-based player. He said the attention surrounding him has been difficult to manage at times, after being heavily discussed during his draft year and since making his West Coast debut in 2024.

“You do definitely notice it but I just try not to let it affect me too much,” Reid said of the pressure. “I feel like if my mental state’s there and I’ve prepared well, the pressure isn’t there.” He said camping trips outside Perth had helped him reset.

Reid has conceded more free kicks than any player at the same stage of their career and holds West Coast’s season record for free kicks conceded. He said aggression and competitiveness were central to his game, but he was working on directing that edge towards winning contests, tackling hard and competing for the ball without losing focus on his role.

Reid is also among the Eagles’ young players taking part in the Matt Priddis Academy, a weekly session for first-to-fourth-year players. He said the program had strengthened camaraderie while providing extra education, skills work and game-plan learning.