West Coast co-captain Liam Duggan believes Harley Reid could be the Eagles’ next million-dollar man as the club pursues a contract extension for the teen sensation.
The embargo on the Eagles being able to pursue rookie extensions lifted after their drought-breaking round six derby triumph against bitter rivals Fremantle, and chief executive Don Pyke made it clear fans weren’t the only ones hotly hunting Reid’s signature.
Through six rounds, the 19-year-old has simply been incredible, averaging 18 disposals a game, three tackles, five clearances – which is considered above average by AFL.com – and has kicked seven goals, including three against the Dockers’ No.1 rated defence.
Add to that highlight bursts from stoppage, electrifying runs down the wing, and high-flying marks, many eastern states experts are already speculating Reid could be offered 10-year deals worth $12-15 million in an attempt to lure him back to his home state.
Speaking to TripleM radio on Monday, Duggan all but confirmed he thought Reid would be one of the AFL’s million-dollar stars.
“Going off what he’s produced in the first six games….. potentially, in the future,” he said.
“He’s a special player, you can tell. You could tell during the pre-season that there was something else about him.
“The moments everyone’s getting hyped up about – breaking out of the stoppages or taking the high marks, which is something that he’s added to the side.”
While Duggan was complimentary of Reid, he was quick to highlight the momentum all of the club’s young talent had brought to the club to start 2024, climaxing with back-to-back wins against Richmond and Fremantle, the first time they have done so since 2021.
And the co-captain says his side will look to capitalise on momentum as they prepare for Gold Coast on Sunday.
“We just can’t take our foot off the throttle now; we’ll stick to our process. We haven’t really changed too much; it’s starting to click a bit more for us, which is nice,” he told The West Australian.
“I look around the ground, and there’s a lot more trust. It’s great for some of our young boys who haven’t experienced a lot of success yet to be rewarded.
“It’s pleasing to beat Freo but even more pleasing that we’re playing a brand of footy that we’ve been after for a long time now. What probably means the most to us is a few good weeks of really solid footy. It’s our brand and identity that we’re really starting to see now.
“We have a big road trip this week and haven’t had a lot of success playing on the Gold Coast, so it’s a big challenge for us.”