Glen Quartermain: Harley Reid re-signing the happiest day for West Coast Eagles fans since 2018 premiership

It’s time to exhale. The will-he-or-won’t-he guessing game is over. At least for three seasons. Harley Reid has signed a two-year contract extension that keeps him at West Coast til at least the end of 2028. Surely, there has been no more welcome media statement from the club or happier day for West Coast’s faithful since they lifted the 2018 premiership cup. It’s a massive endorsement of first-year coach Andrew McQualter and the direction he is taking. It’s a show of faith in his teammates. And importantly it sends a message to prospective free agents that, despite a horror on-field stretch that has netted just 11 wins since 2022, that this is the place to be. This is a footy team Harley Reid wants to play with. It gives McQualter time to convince Reid his longer-term future is with the club. And it gives 20-year-old Reid the time he needs to work out what his future holds. Whether it is in WA or in Victoria, his home State. This is a long build, but at least in three years’ time, there might be serious light at the end of the long tunnel. Not just an old bloke on the last dregs of a roll-your-own. The pressure will ease on the most-hyped kid in the AFL. Reid can now play hopefully injury-free and relatively unencumbered by outside noise in 2026. His re-signing represents a repayment to the club’s huge investment when it secured him with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 national draft. The forecast offers from rival clubs were in the vicinity of $2 million a season, his own management seeking a combination of long-term and short-term deals. There is no doubt this deal won’t be too far off that mark, so there will still be the pressure of expectation on one of, if not the, highest-paid player in the AFL in his third season. The extension follows a solid second AFL season at an average of 18.8 disposals and 14 goals from 19 games before a syndesmosis ended his campaign. The Eagles could not talk the re-signing up more – and fair enough – referring to Reid as a “dynamic, explosive and must-watch midfielder”. Reid’s recommitment statement read: “Since the day I arrived in Perth the West Coast Eagles members and fans have been so supportive of me and our team, and the future with our young squad is super exciting. “The support from our coaches and my teammates has been amazing over the last two years, and I’m looking forward to continuing to develop my game and helping the team climb back up the ladder. “I can’t wait for the 2026 season and beyond to see what we can achieve together.” Reid’s signature follows a number of next generation re-signings, including Jobe Shanahan, Bo Allan, Rhett Bazzo and Tyrell Dewar. Co-captain Oscar Allen has told the club he wants to move to Brisbane. That will likely give them band one compensation, the second selection in the draft behind the first pick they have for finishing last. The concrete has been poured on the rebuild. Reid has just provided some ballast. Now it’s time for head of Matt Clarke, the club’s head of list management and recruiting, to don the overalls and get to work on the most critical draft and trade period in their history with the knowledge the first very important piece is in place.