Harley Reid has stopped short of admitting he enjoyed his “quiet time’’ after a head knock he suffered in an exhibition match while playing with the AFL Academy team forced him into a dark room for a week.
There are probably not many better “hiding spots’’ than a Gooda St bedroom in Tongala, not that Reid was hiding. He did, however, admit he had enjoyed avoiding the spotlight for the five weeks he has spent out of football.
He was a headline act for much of the first half of the AFL season as a battle for the “Harley Reid Cup’’ emerged between West Coast Eagles, North Melbourne and Hawthorn.
With 10 rounds of the season remaining the Eagles look like the favourite to earn the number one pick, one win and 17 per cent behind the 17th ranked Kangaroos.
Constant conversation has surrounded who would have first crack at Reid in the November draft, but his focus has been recovery and returning to the playing field.
Reid was assisted from the field after suffering a head knock during the Marvel Stadium match with Carlton’s VFL side on May 13 and hasn’t played a match since.
He explained, following the head knock, his advice was to be cautious and he admitted to feeling dizzy and being sensitive to light after the Marvel Stadium incident.
“I was fine Sunday, but it hit me worst on Monday.
“I spent the rest of the week at home, stayed off my phone for the week and balanced my television time,” he said.
“I feel a bit like I am coming out of retirement. I’ve never had five weeks off during a footy season,” he said.
Reid was speaking prior to leading Victoria Country out for the first match of the 2023 under-18 national championships against South Australia.
It was familiar surrounds for the Vic Country co-captain, who is also captain of Coates Talent League club Bendigo Pioneers, as the Sunday afternoon fixture was at Carlton’s Ikon Park.
Reid played two games with the Carlton VFL team during bye weeks for the Pioneers, but doesn’t expect to pull on the navy blue again this season.
“I think I will play VFL again at some stage, but if I do it will probably be with Essendon.” he said, the Bombers having an affiliation with the Bendigo under age program.
In Sunday’s championship opener, which was the Tongala star’s fifth game for Victoria Country, he was at his physical best early in the match.
He spent most of the game deep in the forward line, had five shots on goal and kicked three majors in the 19 point loss to South Australia.
In the same fixture last year he took some match winning marks in the last quarter, across half-back, to give Vic Country a winning start to the championships.
Reid said he was “champing at the bit’’ in the change rooms before the match, which will be followed by a July 1 fixture against West Australia, an Allies match at St Kilda’s RSEA Park on July 9 and an Ikon Park finale with Victoria Metro on July 15.
He has played only three games for the Pioneers this season and is hoping to play with the club again on June 25 (against Northern Knights in the round 11 match).
“We are looking at the schedule now,” Reid said, explaining he would sit down with Pioneers coach Danny O’Bree and Vic Country coach Paul Corrigan to hopefully be given the nod at playing a game before the second round match in West Australia.
“We fly out for WA on the Thursday (June 29), so I have a week off.
Reid said he had missed the physicality of playing and was looking forward to the challenge of the four round national championships draw
The Year 12 St Joseph’s College student was just getting over the challenge of sitting two exams as part of his GAT (General Assessment Test) last week.
Reid said he was looking forward to finishing his under age football with the Pioneers and explained, with a full list, he believed the team could match it with the best teams.
“Come the wildcard rounds we will be hard to beat and I will get to finish the year with them (Pioneers),” he said.
Reid said he hoped to play some more VFL games, against AFL quality players, prior to the end of the season.
The Pioneers have a July 29 bye and another week off on August 12.
Reid was a little disappointed that he couldn’t complete a second Big Freeze event at his old school, Tongala primary, having to turn approaches to be involved because of his national championship commitments.
“I had to head to Melbourne on Friday morning and the freeze was that night,” Reid said.
“I was looking forward to that, because it is a good cause.”
