Harley Reid sends scare through West Coast camp amid Eagles' injury dramas
The AFL No.1 draft pick sent a scare throughout the team.
West Coast Eagles fans were left worried on Wednesday when star draft pick Harley Reid was pictured down and clutching at his leg during a pre-season training session. The AFL No.1 draft pick left West Coast officials concerned when a knock left the youngster on the ground and needing attention.
Reid left training with fans were quickly concerned over the images of Reid, but the forward appeared to be fine with reports suggesting he suffered a corked thigh. West Coast coach Adam Simpson also allayed fears after the session when he confirmed Reid had just taken a knock.
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"He has got a 'corkie'," Simpson said at West Coast's annual community camp in WA's south-west region. "Today's a low day for us. There's a lot of guys in and out of training, so I wouldn't read too much into injuries. I think we had 42 on the track on Monday with a couple of little niggles here and there."
Elliot Yeo also left training on Wednesday, but is not under an injury cloud. However, it leaves West Coast dealing with a few minor injury concerns ahead of the new year. Fans were deal a blow when it was announced Elijah Hewett would miss a couple of weeks after a foot injury.
"Dom (Sheed) is out for a little bit with his foot. Young Archer Reid came in with a pre-existing issue with his knee, so we're going to take it easy with him as well," Simpson added. West Coast haven't had a No.1 draft pick since 1996, which has seen a lot of attention placed on Reid.
To add more intrigue to his arrival, Reid was handed the No.9 jersey worn by Nic Naitanui and Ben Cousins. "He got drafted to West Coast at pick one, he's the No.9, so part of it he needs to embrace," he added. "He's handled it pretty well. He's been dealing with it for probably a year.
"He just wants to play and be with his new mates. He's keeping it pretty simple, and so are we. There's going to be ups and downs, there always is for an 18-year-old, so hopefully we don't set the bar too high for him."
Genuinely hope heβs ok, would be hard to cop an injury right at the start of his pre season.
β Benny (@BennyFalz16) December 6, 2023
Harley Reid Injury Update!
Reid seems to have avoided serious damage after an injury scare on Wednesday, with coach Adam Simpson confirming he only suffered a corked quad during the Eagles' community camp.#AFL #SuperCoachβ Nerds4Life - SuperCoach (@Nerds4lifeSC) December 6, 2023
Corked thigh for Harley Reid. @WestCoastEagles fans everywhere can exhale.
β Ryan Daniels (@FootyRhino) December 6, 2023
West Coast announce captains for 2024 season
West Coast Oscar announced Oscar Allen and Liam Duggan would be Luke Shuey's successors as the club's new captains. The duo are the 13th and 14th captains in the 37-year history of West Coast.
Shuey retired at the end of last year having played 248 games for the club. West Coast are in the middle of the biggest rebuild in the club's husotry and energy levels are high after the No.1 draft pick of Reid.
"It's a fresh start for the group with 22 players under 21 (years of age)," Duggan said. "The co-captain is something new as well. It's a great platform for us to continue to build now.
"We'll really hone in on the energy that these blokes are bringing. We're already seeing at training - it's been a hot start. It probably looks different to years gone by."
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