Straight to the pool room: Several of the players involved in this Tracey Hughes photograph after the weekend’s Murray league match will be asking for a copy to remind them of the day Harley Reid played his final game with the Blues, at least for the foreseeable future. Reid was best-on-ground as the team returned to the winners’ list for the first time since May 6.
A surprise appearance from Harley Reid headlined the round 17 Murray Football League clash between Tongala and Echuca United in what looks to be the 18-year-old’s last game for the Blues, at least for now.
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If the performance does indeed mark Reid’s last for the club as he looks ahead to the AFL National Draft in November, then it will be one remembered for ending on a winning note.
Reid was a surprise inclusion in Tongala’s side to tackle the Eagles on Saturday at Echuca South Reserve.
Donning the #6 jumper, the young gun registered a best-on-ground performance and booted three goals to help Tongala snap an eight-game losing streak, bringing the curtain down in emphatic fashion and showcasing his full bag of tricks.
AFL-bound: Harley Reid’s headline-making season will soon have him bound for his new AFL home, most likely on the other side of the country with the West Coast Eagles. Only 24 hours after he led Tongala to a win against Murray league club Echuca United, the Eagles won their second match of the season.
It was reported earlier in the week that Reid’s opportunity to play for his home town club might have passed with a game for Essendon in the VFL awaiting at the weekend, but instead, the Tonny faithful were delighted to see one of their favourite sons help the Blues return to winning ways.
Coming off another strong showing at the AFL National Championships, Reid helped Tongala shake off the determined Eagles to run away with a 45-point win, with Jack Sinclair (four goals) and Kyle Fitzgerald also lifting for the Blues.
According to PlayHQ, the contest marked Reid’s 150th game for the Blues, spanning all the way from juniors through to the senior ranks, where he donned the Blue jumper on five occasions.
This includes Reid’s remarkable 2019 season, where he booted 130 goals in a barn-storming under-14 campaign for Tongala.
With a mix of Bendigo Pioneers and potential VFL commitments on the horizon before taking the next step into the big time, it is unlikely Reid will be seen in the Murray Football League for quite some time.
But delivering one final win is quite a note to finish on.
Medal men: Fomer Kyabram great Benny Gugliotti (left), a winner of the Goulburn Valley League's Morrison Medal, posed for a photo with Harley Reid, a teammate of Gugliotti's son Mitch in the weekend's win against Echuca United.
