State honours: Harley Reid got a taste for representative football after being selected in the State School Victoria 12 years and under football team.
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For the best part of the past 18 months, Harley Reid has been the talk of the AFL world, dominating the underage competition and generating the most hype of any draftee in history.
Junior star: Reid in action for Tongala Primary School. Photo: Sitthixay Ditthavong
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As the Tongala teen prepares for life as an AFL footballer when his name is read out at tonight’s national draft, almost certainly with the first pick, The Riv looks back at the road he took to get there.
Accolades: Reid (centre) accepting the under-14 Tongala Football Club best-and-fairest award.
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Following in the footsteps of his father, Mark, who played 401 games at Tongala, Reid debuted for the Blues as a 10-year-old, and his talent was obvious from the outset.
Goals galore: A young Harley Reid after receiving the leading goal-kicker award for Tongala’s under-14 side.
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After earning best-on-ground honours in his first game of under-12s, he was asked to line up for the under-14s who were short of players. Despite playing against significantly older kids, he kicked six goals to be named best afield for the second time that day.
A naturally gifted player, Reid caught the eye of state selectors with his supreme skill and soon earned his first representative honours when he was named in the Victorian under-12 schoolboy side to play in Darwin.
Centurion: Reid poses with his 100-goal trophy after booting 127 goals for the season in 2019.
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As he moved up to under-14 level, Reid began to dominate the local competition, kicking 127 goals for the season in 2019, even being chaired off by the opposition when he crossed the magical 100 barrier against Congupna.
King Harley: Harley Reid is chaired off after kicking seven goals to pass the 100-goal mark for the under-14 season. Photo: Nat Di Petta Photography
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State selections would very quickly become the norm for Reid, who represented Victoria at under-15 level before playing for Vic Country at the under-16 national championships.
Dominant: Harley Reid’s talent has been obvious since his junior days, dominating for Tongala since pulling on the jumper in under-14s. Photo: Nat Di Petta Photography
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He made the Bendigo Pioneers squad for the 2022 season and, as a bottom-age talent, once again dominated against the best underage players in the country, bursting through stoppages with explosive power while also kicking goals when venturing inside forward 50.
It was at the national championships last year when he really came to the attention of the public as the potential number one pick, starring for Vic Country and earning All-Australian status as a bottom-age player.
Making his mark: Reid earned the mantle of best player in his draft class after eye-catching performances as a bottom-age player for the Bendigo Pioneers. Photo: Steve Huntley
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Life hasn’t been the same for the young prospect since, with highlights of his fend-offs and exceptional marking ability racking up hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok, all before he is even an AFL player.
Strength: Harley Reid in action for Tongala against Moama in 2022. Photo: Steve Huntley
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The spectacle reached fever pitch in 2023, as Reid further cemented himself as the best player in his draft class with some superb performances for Vic Country at the national championships.
A 26-disposal, two-goal performance against Western Australia, as well as a 24-disposal, 11-clearance domination of the midfield against Vic Metro, saw Reid earn the Vic Country MVP award, as well as his second All-Australian blazer, solidifying the hype around the young star.
Hyped up: After playing a starring role for Vic Country in the 2022 national championships, Harley Reid has not looked back and will almost certainly be taken with the first pick in the 2023 draft. Photo: Steve Huntley
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He also appeared for both Carlton and Essendon’s VFL outfits, displaying his talents against AFL-listed players and silencing some doubters who pondered whether or not his underage feats could translate to the big time.
Yet he still found time to pull on the jumper for his beloved Tongala one last time, lining up against Echuca United and kicking three goals to lead his struggling side to its first win in eight rounds.
Signing footballs and posing for photos after nearly every game this year, as well as dealing with the constant speculation and rumours regarding which AFL club he will end up at, Reid has endured media attention that is rarely, if ever, focused on a draftee, but has handled it with aplomb.
Blue through and through: Despite a busy schedule, Harley Reid found time to play a final game for Tongala this season, lining up against Echuca United. Photo: Josh Huntly
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That whirlwind of the past two years will come to a head tonight, just after 7pm, when the kid from Tonny will learn his fate and live out the dream of every young kid who grew up playing football by having his name read out at the draft.
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