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This kid has had so much hype but after watching him tear a premiership midfield a new one, including a don't argue to Oliver and Petracca in one play, I'm starting to think that he is just a phenomenal talent. He has single handedly revitalised a tired group of players and the team is becoming a lot harder to beat at home. His whole attitude of enjoying the game is so refreshing and has rubbed off on the older players like Darling and the talented newbies such as Ginbey. They will still have their ups and downs and they are nowhere near finals but there is a light at the end of the tunnel for them now. The great thing about Reid is that he seems to enjoy the physical stuff that the opposition throw at him.

I hope the Eagles can hang on to him because he is a crowd puller and even though I am not a West Coast fan I love watching him play

Great post Mike.  It’ll be interesting to see what happens over the next couple of years.  The eastern staters will throw everything at him.  While he seems to love being here, grabs his jumper with joy when he kicks a goal and seems to be cherished by his team mates, going home may influence him.  I see in one of the footy feeds that Simmo said that his recent trip home was because he wanted to see his family.  That doesn’t bode well for the future.

It is rare that West Coast lose players back home as they look after them and if Reid needs to go home every 6 weeks and that is enough to keep him here they'll do it. A few extra weeks off at years end etc.

If the rebuild happens sooner and he can smell a flag in 6-7 years he'll also want to stay for that. History tells us that WCE are back up from the bottom and the door opens every 10 years or so and will be interesting if it repeats and he can see a flag which only add to the mix

I'd be very surprised if he's still here in 3 years time and who could blame him. The thrill of moving back home and playing for a big Melbourne based club like Collingwood, Carlton or Essendon in front of family and friends and a packed MCG would be huge.

BC wrote:

I'd be very surprised if he's still here in 3 years time and who could blame him. The thrill of moving back home and playing for a big Melbourne based club like Collingwood, Carlton or Essendon in front of family and friends and a packed MCG would be huge.

To me that would be a blight on the game if that happens BC and only further strengthen the argument that the AFL is merely an expanded VFL. Does that happen in the NBA and NFL? I doubt it.

Would an Australian soccer player say I want to go home and play in front of mummy and daddy in the A League and walk away from millions in the EPL? 😂

Players return to their home states all the time DD. A classic was Nathan Buckley who did it and missed out on 3 flags at Brisbane but I bet if he had his time over again, he'd do exactly the same thing so I don't see your point.

Beasley Hutton will correct me here but Buckley was originally a Top Ender who went down to Port Adelaide for juniors

 

Southerner wrote:

Beasley Hutton will correct me here but Buckley was originally a Top Ender who went down to Port Adelaide for juniors


 

Yes Southy Buckley was originally from Darwin before heading to Port Adelaide in the SANFL and then on to the VFL.
I think he spent some small time in Canberra as a kid as well, have a recollection he played with James Hird there as a kid?

and I recall a lot of spew around him telling Brisbane he was going to Collingwood