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LISTEN: NZ vs Iran 2-2“Critics are unfair”: Hinkley’s massive prediction on potential superstar
Abby Crozier • June 16th, 2026 1:16 pm
Former Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has laid down his ultimate prediction on West Coast young gun Harley Reid, as he "starts to dominate" the AFL.
The Eagles went down by one point to North Melbourne at Optus Stadium on Saturday, but not for the efforts of Reid. After a scrap late in the first term riling up the young player, the 21-year-old went on to impact the game with 21 disposals, eight score involvements, five clearances and a goal.
The former No.1 Draft Pick (2023), Reid has been one to watch since his first step onto the field in Round 1 of 2024.
“We keep a magnifying glass over this kid, and he is starting to show some real leadership,” said Gerard Healy on SEN's Sportsday.
And Hinkley is full of admiration for the potential superstar.
“It will be no surprise to anyone, but Harley Reid is a superstar and will be one of the very best players in the competition in the next 12-18 months,” said Hinkley.
“Once the team becomes better, and the people around him are supporting him a bit more, you’ll see a bit more of Harley’s magic that he can actually influence (the game) with.
“At the moment he’s chasing a lot of the football that’s going the wrong way – when the ball starts to go their way a bit more, you’ll want to watch out.”
Reid's temper and discipline have created headlines for the wrong reasons but Hinkley feels that talk is unfair given he's still learning his craft in his third season.
“The critics (of Reid) are unfair – I think young players with his passion, his power and his want to win - you just need to deal with some of the blow-ups and toys out of the cot stuff that happen with young people,” Hinkley continued.
“He’s not a mature young man just yet, he’s a maturing young man.
“He reminds me a bit of Jason Horne-Francis – he’s getting better every year, playing great footy and getting more in control of his outbursts and blowups that happen at times.
“The reality is you’d much rather the competitor than the (player) that just lets it all roll. I would rather see them want to win and want to win bad.”
Reid has thus far averaged 23 disposals a season, with his potential set to explode as per Hinkley's predictions.
