'He's under enormous pressure': Lloyd's advice as AFL whacks 'distracted' Harley Reid with fine
AFL great Matthew Lloyd fears Harley Reid is being "distracted" by external noise, giving some advice to the under-fire young star after he learned his fate for his cheeky act towards a crowd member on Sunday.
Reid was whacked by the AFL with a $1000 fine after he flipped the bird towards the crowd after receiving a free kick in the side's 19-point loss to the Brisbane Lions.
Having escaped immediate punishment from the match review officer, the midfielder was asked to provide an explanation for his act which resulted in a misconduct charge.
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Lloyd said the fine was a fair result as a sanction for the crude gesture but added that the constant external noise around the 19-year-old went some way to explaining his underwhelming showings so far this season.
The number one draft pick of 2023 has struggled to make an impact in the opening rounds of the new season, with his on-field behaviour criticised by pundits.
Reid averaged the second-most free kicks in the competition last season, but managed to give away seven of his own against the Lions.
"The crowd was into him and it is a tough thing to take," Lloyd told Nine's Today of Reid's behaviour against the Lions.
Oscar Allen and Harley Reid leave the field at half time in round one. Paul Kane via Getty Images
"He's on the front and back pages of the West Australian every single day. He's under enormous pressure... I think it builds (when) other crowds get into him.
"He seems like he is playing very distracted at the moment. He's wanting to fight and he's wanting to wrestle, and he's just got to go back to playing football - it's what he's born to do."
It remains unknown if Reid's future will be with West Coast after his contract expires in 2026, and he has been linked to a possible trade out of the club.
A move to Victoria has been floated, with The Age reporting Essendon and Richmond are likely contenders to battle for Reid's signature.
"He's contracted for next year but I think he wants to be back in Victoria," Lloyd said.
"He's a must watch over the next 12 months."
