Eddie McGuire is convinced that Essendon is set to make a record-breaking salary offer to Harley Reid, thanks to a substantial war chest under the AFL’s salary cap.
The talented teenager was selected by West Coast with the first pick in the 2023 draft, which automatically binds him to the Eagles until the end of 2026.
However, there’s growing speculation that he may look to leave Perth at the conclusion of this season, driven by a desire to return to his home state of Victoria.
This move would necessitate West Coast agreeing to his release to a competing club.
A report from The Age on Wednesday indicated that Essendon and Richmond are currently the only Victorian teams with enough draft capital to potentially lure the Eagles into a trade.
Both clubs possess two first-round picks in this year’s draft, which they could hypothetically propose to the Eagles in exchange for the midfield powerhouse.
Harley Reid of the Eagles. Getty
Experts have suggested that Reid could become the first player in the game to earn $2 million annually.
Only a select few have previously garnered $1.5 million in a season.
On Nine’s Eddie and Jimmy podcast, McGuire remarked that the Bombers could even surpass that figure.
“Essendon is the club that is being discussed currently,” McGuire stated.
“I’ve heard they have $2.5 million available in their salary cap.”
“I’m not sure if it would all go to Reid, but they definitely have $2.5 million to play with.”
The Bombers have struggled to secure a big-bodied midfielder for several seasons now, and acquiring Reid would undoubtedly energise their long-suffering fanbase.
The AFL’s salary cap—total player payments—is set to rise to $18.29 million next year.
Jimmy Bartel pointed out that wherever Reid ultimately lands, he won’t lack for offers.
“He’s going to receive a massive offer,” Bartel noted.
“It’s certainly a good time to be Harley Reid.”
Beyond the financial aspect, Reid may be reconsidering his future in Perth following West Coast’s heavy loss to Gold Coast over the weekend.
Although much of the attention surrounding the Eagles’ performance has been focused on Reid since his debut last year, Bartel shifted the blame to the more experienced players.
The Eagles have ended up in the bottom three on the AFL ladder for the last three years.
“If I were Andrew McQualter (the rookie coach), I’d be incredibly disheartened,” Bartel said during the podcast.
“It’s round one, in the first game under a new coach, where typically there’s an effort to impress them; you usually get that new coach bounce. Yet you find yourselves beaten in clearances, contested balls, and under pressure—key areas.”
“In the very first quarter of the season… they are fortunate Gold Coast didn’t defeat them by 130 points.”
“Senior players… McQualter might be thinking ‘hang on, do I really have these guys? What are you doing?’.
“People will focus on Harley Reid and a few other young players, but where are the role models? That performance was disgraceful.”
The Eagles are set to head to Brisbane this week to face the reigning champions.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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