West Coast coach Adam Simpson explains that resting promising young player Harley Reid is part of a “bigger picture” approach for the Eagles and the 19-year-old’s overall season. Reid has excelled since his debut in the first round, notably playing a key role in the Eagles’ 37-point victory over Fremantle in the Western Derby, where he scored three goals. Despite his impressive start, Reid will not be traveling to the Gold Coast for the game against the Suns.
Instead, he’s flown back home to Victoria to spend time with his family.
The call to rest the midfielder may have come as a shock to some, but for Simpson and Reid himself, it was all part of the plan.
We’ve made a decision looking at the bigger picture,” Simpson said on Friday.
But the call to axe the youngster, who is averaging 18 disposals after six matches, isn’t just because they want to give him a break.
Simpson says Reid’s “metrics” were down, meaning they knew it was time to give his body a break to ensure he can perform at his best when he returns and carry that out through the long season.
“I think he was pretty keen to play, but he also understood the situation,” Simpson said.
“He was just flagging a little bit with his body. With the metrics we measure our players on each week, it slowly decreased the last couple of weeks.”
The Eagles are 2-4 after six rounds, looking ahead to their clash with the Suns, who sit 3-3.
It’s a clash that will prove which young side, Simpson or Damien Hardwick’s can make their mark on 2024 and look to push for finals.
Simpson says they’ll feel the hole left by Reid, but prepared to push on without him from early in the week.
“We’re going to miss (Reid) … but doing the right thing by the kid is also our priority,” he said.
