Harley’s my hero: For a new generation of Tongala children, Harley Reid is a hero, having been taken by the West Coast Eagles as the number one pick at the 2023 AFL National Draft. Among those who celebrated his big night was Van Cox, who took part in the colour run and posed alongside the hay bale that featured a caricature of the 18-year-old star.
It wasn’t quite a bronze statue outside the MCG, but the hay bale that featured a caricature of star Tongala footballer Harley Reid at the entrance to the town’s recreation reserve was a fitting tribute to the country boy who was crowned the hottest football property in Australia at the AFL National Draft on Monday night.
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Reid has stayed true to his “true blue” roots from the first time his name was mentioned as a potential number one pick. He has spent the best part of two football seasons at the heart of discussions as to where he would ply his trade once he ended his time in underage football ranks.
On Monday night he landed, unsurprisingly, at West Coast when his name was called out at number one.
The hay bales that bore his resemblance were painted by amateur Tongala artist Amber Townsend and will no doubt feature as part of the Christmas hay bale trail that is due to start early next month.
Reid will wear the yellow-and-blue of the Eagles next year after a season where he represented not only Bendigo Pioneers and Tongala, but also Carlton and Essendon at VFL level, Vic Country and the AFL Academy.
Armed and dangerous: Tongala Football Netball Club organised a colour run to celebrate Harley Reid’s crowning as the best young footballer in the country and children had the chance to negotiate a series of obstacles as part of the event. Taking her job very seriously was Pippa Brennan.
After a series of embraces with the close friends who mobbed him on his Marvel Stadium table, he shared a moment with his mother and father Mark and Vanessa, his sisters Jasmine and Hollie and grandparents Stuart and Mary.
It was no surprise to see the Bendigo Pioneers dress shirt that he wore on stage alongside AFL chief executive officer Andrew Dillon and West Coast Eagles legend Nic Naitanui.
And when Nic Nat turned the jumper around it had number nine on it, the giant ruckman with the most recognised dreadlocks in the AFL having been the most recent player to wear the number.
He played 213 games in the jumper after Ben Cousins wore it from 1998-2007, winning a Brownlow Medal, four best-and-fairests and a premiership in the jumper number.
Prior to that decorated pair it was worn in two premierships by Eagles hard man Peter Wilson.
While Reid and his family were amid the glitz and glamour of AFL draft night, it was almost business as usual back in his home town.
Pre-season training continued for Tongala’s footballers, while surrounding them were hundreds of families involved in a colour run that was held to celebrate the town having its new favourite son celebrated as the best junior football product in Australia.
Day on the green: Chett Cox, complete with Harley Reid’s image on his t-shirt, takes a break from the colour run to enjoy the Tongala Recreation Reserve turf during the draft night spectacular which celebrated the junior football star joining the West Coast Eagles.
Wet and wild: Tongala Football Netball Club’s colour run followed a course that wound its way through a series of obstacles around the recreation reserve that, on a night above 30ºC, offered some welcome respite for children who tackled the course.
