“No way”: What AFL great thinks of Reid’s contract offers

It has become apparent that West Coast is very serious about keeping Harley Reid.

AFL Media’s Cal Twomey reported on Tuesday that the Eagles have presented “a suite of massive contract offers” to keep the talented 19-year-old in royal blue and gold.

The No.1 draft pick from 2023, who is currently contracted until 2026, has in front of him three-year, five-year and even longer term deals at upwards of $1.6 million per year.

Pondering the money on offer, Kane Cornes asked his Agenda Setters colleagues if it was a risk to make Reid the highest paid Eagle in history.

Luke Hodge was the strongest with his response, urging Reid not to rush into putting pen to paper with the struggling Eagles even if it is a mammoth deal.

“I can understand why West Coast would throw anything at him because of what he can do and once he matures,” Hodge said on Channel 7’s The Agenda Setters.

“Why would he sign as a player? You look at how the club has handled stuff over the last three weeks, look at how they handled (Tom) Barrass last year.

“There’s no way he would sit down and seriously sign a piece of paper right now to look him in there for the next seven or eight years.”

Cornes asked: “Do you think he can handle the security that comes with putting your contract on hold?”

Hodge replied: “He’s under scrutiny anyway. He’s done nothing wrong in the last 18 months apart from the odd free kick, and this and that.

“As a young kid, compared to what other people have done, it’s been unfair how much attention has been on him.

“I reckon he can handle it because he’s going to get it either way.”

Hawthorn, Geelong and Essendon remain linked to the Victorian who is averaging 16.8 disposals, 2.8 tackles and 2.2 clearances across four games in 2025 for the winless Eagles.

They next meet the similarly winless Carlton at the Adelaide Oval in Gather Round on Saturday.