Pre-Season Scare for Eagles' Young Gun
The West Coast Eagles camp experienced a moment of concern during day one of AFL pre-season training when prized number one draft pick Harley Reid appeared to injure himself during fitness testing.
The incident occurred on Monday at Mineral Resources Park as Reid and his first-to-fourth-year teammates underwent their Maximal Aerobic Speed (MAS) test, a gruelling fitness assessment where players run laps while a recorded beep progressively increases speed.
Crisis Averted as Reid Returns
According to 7NEWS Perth reporter Ryan Daniels, who witnessed the event, Harley Reid started strong but pulled out abruptly, pointing to his calf muscle. Initial fears were quickly alleviated when Daniels reported the issue appeared to be cramp, possibly due to the warm conditions.
Reid immediately spoke with fitness staff before moving to the sidelines where he consulted with coach Andrew McQualter. After receiving treatment while his teammates continued running, the young midfielder stretched out and put his shoes back on, eventually rejoining the training session.
"Harley has joined training again - crisis averted," Daniels confirmed shortly after the incident.
Veterans Join Young Squad
While the younger players underwent the demanding MAS test - which was won by Hamish Davis, just ahead of Clay Hall - several experienced Eagles followed their own training program on the sidelines.
Elliot Yeo was among the veterans pushing hard, alongside captain Liam Duggan, Jake Waterman, Jamie Cripps, Bailey Williams, Harry Edwards and new recruit Matt Owies.
The session was later closed to media, but observers noted Reid visible from behind the fence doing short passing drills alongside club great Nic Naitanui.
The scare comes after Reid told The West Australian last week that he had done significant work during the off-season to improve his endurance after struggling with fitness during his debut season.
All eyes were on the young star not just for his running, but also because he had unveiled a radical new haircut on social media during the weekend, though this remained hidden under a hat during Monday's session.
Eagles CEO Don Pyke emphasised the importance of a strong summer preparation, stating: "I've seen enough of them over the last four weeks. They're really excited about what's ahead. They understand we've got some work to do. I think they're here with the right attitude to do the work which is what we need to do to climb back up the ladder."
