GWS star Jesse Hogan says Giants will ‘have a plan’ for Harley Reid ahead of West Coast Eagles clash
Greater Western Sydney spearhead Jesse Hogan says the Giants will have a plan for Harley Reid, declaring he’s “not a player you take lightly” ahead of their clash with West Coast on Sunday.
Reid has copped heavy criticism for a drop in form in the opening rounds of the season, accused of being disinterested and distracted as the Eagle slumped to an 0-3 start.
But GWS are wary of the 19-year-old, with Hogan believing he could have a huge say in their clash at ENGIE Stadium on Sunday.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“We’ll have a plan for Harley this week. He’s not a player you take lightly,” Hogan said.
“He’s going to be a star of the competition. He can probably win the game off his own boot.”
The Giants have one of the competition’s best taggers in West Australian Toby Bedford, who could get a run-with role on Reid after the Docker sent Matthew Johnson to him at centre bounces.
The midfielder was then moved to half back by coach Andrew McQualter in the last quarter in a bid to free him up.
Hogan sympathised with Reid, with the former No.1 pick copping what the Claremont product says is harsh criticism in just his second season in the AFL.
The Coleman Medallist knows what it feels like to be in the limelight of both a two-team town and in the football mecca of Victoria, with highly-publicised stints at Fremantle and Melbourne before moving to GWS at the end of 2020.
“You can’t open your phone without seeing Harley,” Hogan, who hails from Western Australia, said.
“It’s probably pretty unfair. I think he’s still 19. I haven’t really got a whole lot of opinion on it. I think he gets dealt with pretty harshly.”
Reid has also faced scrutiny for his on-field behaviour, including getting in too many scuffles with opponents and engaging with opposition fans.
He’s been fined in back-to-back games, with a middle-finger salute directed at Brisbane supporters at the Gabba costing him $1000, while he was also sanctioned for instigating a melee/wrestle in the western derby loss to Fremantle.
Reid burst on the scene with a blistering debut season for West Coast, named the AFL Players’ Association’s Best First Year player following 20 games.
