Eddie McGuire believes Essendon is poised to offer Harley Reid a record salary thanks to a war chest of money under the AFL‘s salary cap.
The superstar teenager was taken by West Coast with pick one in the 2023 draft, and therefore is automatically contracted to the Eagles until the end of 2026.
But there is plenty of speculation he will try to leave Perth at the end of this current season out of a desire to move home to Victoria.
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It would require West Coast agreeing to release him to a rival club.
A report in The Age on Wednesday stated Essendon and Richmond are the only Victorian clubs currently holding enough draft capital to potentially entice the Eagles into a trade.
Both the Bombers and Tigers have two first-round selections in this year’s draft which they could theoretically offer the Eagles in exchange for the midfield bull.
Harley Reid of the Eagles. Getty
Experts have suggested Reid could become the game’s first player to earn $2 million a season.
There have been a small handful pocket $1.5m in a season previously.
Speaking on Nine’s Eddie and Jimmy podcast, McGuire claimed the Bombers could even offer more than that.
“Essendon are the one that they’re talking about at the moment,” McGuire said.
“And my mail is they’ve got $2.5 (million) in their salary cap.
“I don’t know if it will all go to him, but they’ve got $2.5m sitting there.”
The Bombers have lacked a big-bodied midfielder – among other things – for several seasons, and the acquisition of Reid would no doubt excite long-suffering fans.
The AFL’s salary cap – or total player payments – is reportedly increasing to $18.29m next year.
Jimmy Bartel says wherever Reid ends up playing, he won’t be short on cash.
“He’s going to get a big offer,” Bartel said.
“Good time to be Harley Reid.”
Money aside, Reid might be rethinking his future in Perth after West Coast’s huge first-up loss to Gold Coast at the weekend.
While much of the credit or blame for the Eagles’ performances have been landing on Reid’s young shoulders since his debut a year ago, Bartel took aim at the team’s older players.
The Eagles have finished in the bottom three teams on the AFL ladder in each of the past three years.
“I’d be incredibly disappointed if I’m (rookie coach) Andrew McQualter,” Bartel told the podcast.
“It’s round one, first ever game under a new coach which you’re normally trying to impress them – you normally get the new coach lift – and you get beaten in clearances, contested ball, pressure, all those key areas.
“The very first quarter of the season… they are lucky Gold Coast didn’t beat them by 130.
“Senior players… McQualter would be going ‘hang on, do I really have you guys? What are you doing?’.
“People will zero in on Harley Reid and a couple other of the young boys, but where are the role models? That was disgraceful.”
The Eagles fly to Brisbane this week to take on the reigning premiers.
