"A fantastic young guy" - Don Pyke confirms West Coast Eagles want to keep young talent for 'as long as they possibly can'
Following an incredible victory of the West Coast Eagles against the Fremantle Football Club, Eagles CEO Don Pyke confirmed that the team wants to keep the young talent, Harley Reid, for another season.
Pyke appeared on a recent episode of the Triple M Footy podcast, during which he opened up about his team's exemplary performance and also discussed the young talent.
After Round 6 of the season, teams are allowed to secure their players with a new deal. Don Pyke has been looking forward to using the amended AFL Rule to secure Harley Reid.
The West Coast Eagles CEO stated that the team knew the timeline and would like to retain Reid. The team has been discussing securing him, and if possible, they aim to extend his contract.
Speaking about Harley Reid, Pyke said (as quoted by Fox Sports):
“We’re aware of the timeline and we’re aware it’s Round 6. We’re not sitting on our hands, let’s put it that way. We’ll talk about that with his management. It really comes down to what he’d be comfortable with. We’d clearly like to get him for as long as we possibly could.
"We think he’d be an important part of what we’re doing going forward. He’s a fantastic young guy. He loves his footy, loves playing, you can see he loves competing, loves winning. He can see there’s a real opportunity here to build something with him being a significant part of it," he added.
On Saturday, April 20, West Coast Eagles competed in a match against Fremantle Football Club, where the former emerged victorious by 105-68.
Harley Reid was the number one pick of the Eagles in the 2023 AFL draft and has scored five goals in the 2024 season. The teenager is making headlines, all thanks to his fabulous performance, and has received praise from fans and players alike.
Dan Hannebery praised West Coast Eagles' Harley Reid, compared him to Nat Fyfe
Harley Reid has recently been praised by former Sydney Swan Dan Hannebery, who compared the young talent with dual Brownlow Medallist Nat Fyfe in his prime.
On SEN radio, Hannebery praised Reid and acknowledged that the 19-year-old reminded him of Fyfe during his prime when he won the Brownlow medal in 2015.
Speaking of the West Coast Eagles rising star, Hannebery said (via The West):
“When Fyfe was absolutely humming in 2015nand won his Brownlows, (Reid) was doing stuff last night that Fyfe was doing back then in my opinion. Some of the marks, his burst from stoppage, it was almost like Fyfe in his hayday."
“This kid is already a top ten, top five player in the game, and he’s played six weeks. It’s scary to think what he’ll be able to do in the coming months and years," he added.
It is important to note that Harley Reid earned a nomination for the Rising Star award after his resounding performance earlier this year. In the round 5 match against Richmond, Reid put forward a stellar performance and received the nomination.