Harley Reid lands in more controversy as the West Coast youngster makes X-rated act to Brisbane Lions fans

• Harley Reid had been scrutinised last week after his performance vs Gold Coast
• The young midfielder could be set to face scrutiny again for an X-rated act
• Reid appeared to be goaded by Brisbane Lions fans on Sunday afternoon 

By ED CARRUTHERS FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: 09:00 GMT, 23 March 2025 | Updated: 09:06 GMT, 23 March 2025

After Harley Reid found himself at the centre of a media storm last week, the West Coast star could have placed himself at risk of a sanction following the Eagles’ 14.10 (94) – 11.9 (75) defeat by the Lions on Sunday.

The 19-year-old rising star had copped flack last week for allegedly staging during the Eagles thumping by the Suns, with some commentators questioning his performance.

The No 1 draft pick had struggled to get his hands on the footy during that match and had also been involved in several tense moments with opposition players.

On Sunday, Reid and the Eagles had produced a hugely impressive performance, with the midfielder amassing 15 disposals and seven tackles – despite giving away multiple free-kicks.

During the match, Reid had been jeered by Lions fans inside the Gabba after he had been seen wrestling Dayne Zorko on the floor.

He later won a free-kick after a contest with Oscar McInernry and was again the subject of some heckles from Lions fans.

Harley Reid was at the centre of a controversial moment on Sunday after he appeared to raise his middle finger to Brisbane Lions fans

Reid had been scrutinised earlier in the week following his underwhelming performance against Gold Coast

Brisbane fans had appeared to jeer and goad the Eagles youngster, with one attempting to hand him a tissue

One even appeared to offer him a tissue, with Reid subsequently raising his middle finger to fans inside the stadium.

The controversial moment caught some attention from fans online, while Eagles senior coach Andrew McQualter rose to the defence of his star player claiming that Reid was just having some fun with the fans.

‘We try to bash the theatre out of this game sometimes, don’t we?’ McQualter said on the incident after the match.

‘He’s just having a bit of fun. Sometimes that’s good for the game, I think.’

McQualter had also been seen rallying around the young midfielder in training this week after Reid had been heavily criticised by pundits following last week’s performance.

McQualter also delivered his verdict on Reid’s performance, again rising to the defence of the rising midfielder.

‘I thought he competed hard. He had a bit of a quiet first quarter, but he just kept competing,’ McQualter.

Reid had struggled to get his hands on the footy during today’s match, making 15 disposals

West Coast boss Andrew McQualter rose to the defence of Reid adding that he felt the Eagles star had ‘competed hard’ 

‘I thought he had some big influence on the game at different times today.

‘Harley’s still learning the game, he’s still learning to be the best footballer he can be and the best teammate he can be and we’re going to really support him and work hard in that space with him.’

Reflecting on the result, McQualter added he was buoyed by his side’s improvements.  

‘The big improvement today came around the source,’ he said.

‘Our method at the contest, that was the biggest improvement. 

‘It fell away late … but we really went to work around that.’

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Harley Reid lands in more controversy as the West Coast youngster makes X-rated act to Brisbane Lions fans

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