Harley Reid: The new prince of Perth opens up on life in the spotlight and hidden meaning behind Eagle tattoo

It’s one of WA’s most talked about tattoos of 2025, but Harley Reid’s new ink might not mean exactly what fans think.

A quick glimpse of the eagle perched above his ankle in a recent Instagram video was all it took to make headlines, spark Reddit threads and set tongues wagging.

And while the image is a clear nod to his club, the West Coast Eagles midfielder said its meaning runs deeper.

“I was going to get a hawk,” he told STM with a laugh before revealing: “I got it for when I left home — to show independence.”

The eagle joins a bull horn on the front of his ankle, a tattoo he had done as a reminder of where he came from: dairy country in Tongala, three hours out of Melbourne. Any future tattoos, he says, will stay similarly discreet.

In an exclusive shoot at Crown Perth to mark its 40th anniversary, Reid opened up about newfound fame, carrying the expectation of the State on his shoulders and how his upbringing set him up to take both in his stride.

“I try to live in the present, and in the moment, and come back to reality to think ‘what can I do now, what can I do to better the team now?’ in whatever environment I’m in,” he said.

Read the full interview with Harley Reid only in STM inside The Sunday Times this weekend or online at The West Australian.