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Find your Sport Nation frequencyRegression or a team-first role? Cornes and King debate second-season Reid
SEN • July 4th, 2025 5:52 pm
Kane Cornes believes Harley Reid has regressed from season one to season two.
Reid averaged more disposals (18.5 to 17.7), tackles (4.0 to 3.0), frees for (2.0 to 1.7), inside 50s (3.1 to 2.9) and clearances (5.0 to 3.5) in year one compared to what he’s achieved in 2025.
He’s also picked up just five Coaches votes from his 15 games in 2025 compared to the 22 he picked up from 20 games in 2024.
Cornes compared the 20-year-old Eagle to some of his 2023 Draft contemporaries when asked by his SEN Breakfast co-host David King whether Reid had begun playing a more team-first role, which has diminished some of his numbers.
King; “Harley Reid is a fascinating discussion because we all see the game differently.
“Do you think that he is doing more team-first handballs, team-first blocks and has more of a team-first mindset than he's ever had? I just don't see anyone giving him any credit for that.
“He's a star-factor player.”
Cornes: “Of course (he is), no one’s denying that. Not one person has ever said that Harley Reid is not going to be a star of our game, not one person.
“The query is, has he regressed? Has he gone backwards from his first year?
“When you compare him to players that were drafted in and around him, factoring in of course that some are in good teams like Joel Freijah and Nick Watson, and their impact is probably easy to have in good teams. I think he's regressed.
“When you say team-first, I do see that. I think Joey (Leigh Montagna) showed four good handballs (on Fox Footy). Absolutely I see that, but I also see a hell of a lot of arguing with umpires. I see a hell of a lot of giving free kicks away.”
King; “But just his game without being negative, do you see a shift into the guy that has to do it all, to the guy that's prepared to be part of a group?”
Cornes: “It isn't top of mind when I watch him. He had more impact last year, I saw him rip a game or two apart last year and I haven’t seen that at all this year, so we disagree.”
While he’s been down somewhat compared to his 2024 output, Reid’s last fortnight where he’s averaged 22.5 disposals, 5.5 clearances and 4.0 marks could be a sign that he’s ready to impose himself on the back end of 2025.
Reid and the Eagles next face the Giants at Optus Stadium on Friday night.
