Harley Reid at centre of staggering West Coast Eagles claim amid AFL contract uncertainty

AFL journalist Sam McClure has doubled down on his claims that Harley Reid will leave the Eagles sooner or later and believes the club will regret drafting him in the first place. In an explosive sign-off in his final show as a Wide World of Sports host, McClure sensationally suggested the Eagles selecting the young midfield phenom was a mistake.

"Harley Reid should have never been selected by the West Coast Eagles and he will not finish his career there," McClure said on 3AW. It is the latest Reid claim from the polarising journalist, who is set to join The Age. Previously McClure declared Reid would not be selected by the Eagles and that he'd only be the "best version of himself" if he was drafted to a Victorian club.

It led to Reid responding ahead of last year's AFL draft saying McClure clearly didn't like him. Reid told SEN WA that he would love to go West Coast if they pick him and that McClure “obviously doesn’t really like” me that much. But the 33-year-old insisted he had no ill feelings towards Reid: “It is absolutely preposterous that anyone, and I’m not talking about Harley, anyone could think that anything that I’ve said is about Harley personally," McClure said.

The AFL journo insisted throughout the draft process and beyond that Reid should never have been selected by the Eagles and that not trading him for more picks was a mistake and it is a stance he refuses to change. "He's only playing in a West Coast jumper this year because West Coast weren't savvy enough or creative enough to turn one pick into three in the first round which they clearly should have done," McClure told The Tradies Podcast earlier this year.

"I don't like where West Coast are at. I really like Harley Reid, I met him last year he's a great guy and I think he will have a really good career. But I think West Coast should have traded the pick, I can't believe they didn't. He should be playing in Melbourne... I didn't think they'd take him, I can't believe that they took him and they should have not taken him. You only get one chance at a career not two."

Eagles continuing talks with Harley Reid over improved contract

Despite being contracted until the end of 2026, there is already plenty of conjecture about Reid's future. And West Coast fans fear he could up and leave at the end of his rookie contract.

The Eagles opened talks with Reid back in June over a new deal but some six months later there is still no update. The young phenom is contracted to the Eagles for the next two seasons but there are fears he could return home to Victoria at the end of his deal, an outcome that would be a slap in the face for West Coast.

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Earlier this year Reid admitted his 19th birthday was the worst he's ever had due to him being away from his family in Victoria, sparking claims he has already made his decision to return to his home state as early as possible. And if Reid decides he wants to move back home, there would be no shortage of Victorian clubs interested. However, a lucrative new deal could convince Reid that the Eagles are right for him at least at the current stage of his career.

West Coast list boss Matthew Clarke revealed in October that he's been in regular discussions with Reid’s management over a contract extension and said the former No.1 pick is a club priority. And the club are reportedly expected to table an offer of around $1.5million a season to try and convince Reid to continue his career in the West.

Harley Reid to become highest paid player in the AFL

Without a doubt, Reid's next contract is expected to see him join the million-dollar club but 7News Perth's Ryan Daniels believes the fee could be closer to $2 million a season. "Semi-informed gut feel would be a couple of years extension, maybe go to five years (total). Free agency would obviously come at the eight-year mark, he’s not going to go beyond that, that’s pretty clear," Daniels said earlier this year. "The money is going to be significant, it’s going to be more than a million dollars a year. That’s just the market-dictated value and then also the salary cap is going to increase, the new CBA.

"I know some people are saying $2m a year, I don’t think it will quite get to that in the early stages, but at some point in his career, I think Harley Reid will be earning $2m a year,

Dustin Martin was the highest-paid player in 2024 - on a deal worth $1.35 million a season. However, with his retirement, for 2025 currently the highest-paid player is Nat Fyfe who is on $1.15 million a season. It means if Reid agrees to a new deal that comes into effect for the 2025 campaign he incredibly could be the highest-paid player in the AFL in just his second season.