West Coast wunderkind Harley Reid is expected to miss the start of the 2027 season after performing a sling tackle on Hawthorn's Jai Newcombe.
In Sunday's loss to the Hawks, Reid slung Newcombe to the ground in the fourth term by the back of his jumper.
The Hawks on-baller's head hit the ground, and he was immediately awarded a free kick for a dangerous tackle. He went off the field for the assessment.
Jai Newcombe left the field after this incident with Harley Reid in the fourth term.#AFLEaglesHawks pic.twitter.com/8wECEIUJ4o
— AFL (@AFL) August 23, 2026
Reid will get in trouble given he didn't let go of the motion, completing the tackle until Newcombe hit the ground. He used his momentum all the way until the Hawk's impact with the grass.
While Newcombe's arms were not pinned - which in most cases can work in the favour of Reid - he was unable to protect himself given the unique nature of the tackle.
The midfielder played out the remainder of the game after he was cleared by Hawks doctors, and is set to play Fremantle in the qualifying final.
Reid could expect a one-week ban for his reckless tackle, with the impact charge set to be deemed medium. However, it could be upgraded to a two-match if the impact grading is set at high, given the capacity to cause further injury.
Earlier in the round, Brisbane's Ty Gallop escaped suspension for his dangerous tackle on Collingwood's Charlie West during Friday night's clash at the MCG.
The 20-year-old key defender can be served with a $3000 fine or a $2000 fine with an early plea.
On Thursday, the Match Review Officer (MRO) handed down four sanctions: three to St Kilda players and one to Ben Jepson.
Dan Butler was banned for one match for his rough conduct charge on Gold Coast's Mac Andrew.
Teammates Hugh Boxshall ($3,125 - $1,875 early plea) and Tobie Travaglia ($1,500 - $1,000 early plea) were sanctioned for staging.
