“It’s easy to do,like it’d be a lot more convenient and easier,but again,I don’t care where I end up at the end of the day.”
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Such has been the attention on Reid this year,there was a stir in August when he “liked” a post on Instagram questioning Adam Simpson’s future as Eagles coach. Reid,who is regularly stopped by members of the public for photos,said he had pressed “like” without even reading,but the optics of him seemingly endorsing such a post at a time when there were doubts over his preparedness to head west were not ideal.
“I scroll on Instagram,I’m liking before I even look at the posts,” Reid said. “I would never look at the post that I like. I got the message stop liking posts.
“I was like,surely I’ve just liked a post,what’s so bad about it? But then I look into it and I read the post and what it was about,it probably wasn’t the best idea.
“I hadn’t read it. I didn’t even know that post existed until that come out.
“It wasn’t good,was it?”
Clubs are naturally wary of the “go-home factor” when it comes to draftees from interstate,particularly with their early picks. No club can afford a repeat of the Jason Horne-Francis scenario when the No.1 pick from 2021 returned home to South Australia after just one season with North Melbourne.
Reid has a surprisingly strong view on the issue.
“I probably didn’t really look into it too much,but obviously one year,it’s not good,” Reid said. “You’ve had the opportunity to go pick one,they’ve picked you up and whatever pick you go to a club for like one year it’s a bit of a stretch.
“You got to settle in for a bit,and Adelaide 45 minutes on a plane,it’s nothing huge. I’m pretty sure you could settle in and I’m pretty sure the resources,and support a club would show for you and have for you to get past that stage and get to a stage where you feel comfortable with the people around you.”
Reid speaks of the romance of being part of a side that wins a flag after starting from rock bottom,but is envious of Nick Daicos,the No.2 pick in 2021,winning a flag in his second year,and Brisbane’s Jaspa Fletcher playing in a grand final in his first.
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“To be there when they’re on the bottom,to be there when they’re on the top and holding that premiership cup,that’d be perfect,” Reid said.
“But again,like you’d also love getting drafted to Collingwood,just played a grand final. You get in there,go for another flag. You know what I mean?
“I live for the big moments. I’d love to play finals in my first year. That’d be something I’d set to be a part of. We look out on the MCG,the biggest game of the year is played here.
“You look around,it was like 96,000 here on the weekend,it’d be huge to run around out there with the atmosphere and the noise. I feel like that’s another thing that motivates me to get going.”
Reid speaks with deep fondness about his hometown and local football club. Playing for Tongala this year,he said,“will always have a place in my heart”. Being the No.1 pick would be as much an honour and privilege for himself as it would be for his home town.
“Behind the scenes,a lot of people have done so much for me,” Reid said. “To go pick one for my community,for me,for my family,I reckon it’d be something that I’d thrive on and everyone would thrive on because of the support they’ve done for me,it’s like they’re on the ride with me.