West Coast will make it clear to star midfielder Harley Reid that it’s time to stop fighting and return his focus to winning the ball after a weekend where he was clearly distracted during a thumping loss to Gold Coast.

Reid had an equal career-low 12 disposals against the Suns, an equal career-low one tackle and a career-low one clearance. But he was also involved in multiple scuffles which attracted widespread criticism from throughout the country.

The 2023 number one draft pick has received plenty of attention from opposition clubs since making his debut. Clubs have realised he can be distracted and that will make it harder for him to dominate.

Star West Coast recruit Liam Baker said fighting was the wrong way to win those battles.

“The distraction stuff, we know that doesn’t help to win games of footy. He knows that,” Baker said.

“Someone will have a chat to him about that little stuff. It’s something he’s going to have to deal with being a good player that he is.

“It’s just reviewing it. He realises it’s not naturally going to help his game. He’ll figure that out.The right people are talking to him. That’s the midfield coach in their role.

“As a senior player you just need to get around him. He’s copping his whack from the outside and it’s tough. Remember he’s only 19 years of age. It must be tough for him. He’ll get on with it and he’ll start playing some good footy for us.”

Baker said it was important for Reid’s teammates to stand up for him on the field, so he doesn’t feel like he’s fending for himself.

But the dual premiership winning Tiger said nobody remembered the victors of on-field fights, so everyone had to spend their energy trying to win games.

“If someone is going at one of our players, we should all be there fighting the fight for him. But it’s just fighting. We want to play good footy so we need to focus on playing good footy,” he said.

“But we’re not going to sit there and let a 19-year-old get pushed around, even though he can fend for himself. He’s big and strong enough to handle himself. But footy is the main thing. He’ll focus on that this week and so will we.”

Baker defended Reid’s form, saying every player needed to take responsibility for the loss on Sunday and improve when they play against Brisbane this week. He also said the teenager’s injury interrupted pre-season had made it hard for him to train as often and as intensely as he would have liked.

Baker played his career alongside Dustin Martin and Richmond and said while he’d talked to Reid about what he learned from being the triple Norm Smith medallist’s teammate, it would be foolish to think he could pass on genuine advice about what it is like playing and living under an intense spotlight.

“We’ve had chats about him,” Baker said.

“Just about the way he trained and the way he prepared. But I don’t know anything about that spotlight stuff. I’m not going to sit here and pretend like I know what it’s like to be Harley or be Dustin.

“That’s something he’s dealing with and us as a club need to support him as best we can.”