Is Harley Reid a captain in waiting?
Western Australian sports journalist and co-host of Zero Hanger's podcast , The Captain, The Outer Wing, brought to you by TabTouch, Digby Beacham, believes so.
Liam Baker joined Liam Duggan as co-captains of the club ahead of the 2026 season, but West Coast has been implored to "get rolling" on making Reid the next skipper "sooner rather than later".
"Absolutely," Beacham said.
"When they do that, I'm not exactly sure. But he's the man. He's the alpha male inside the West Coast change room. You saw what he's been able to achieve. His performance against GWS was immense. He got the 10 coaches' votes. He had a heap of footballs. His last quarter had to be seen to be believed. He impacted the scoreboard as well.
"Harley Reid, who comes up for game 50 for Collingwood, is the man. 21 years of age. He is contracted until the end of 2027, so could the captaincy) Be a carrot for him? I'd like to think Harley Reid is seeing enough from West Coast to want to commit long term.
"But irrespective of that, the time has come for West Coast to get the ball rolling, set it in motion and anoint, and appoint, and focus on getting Harley Reid the sole captaincy of this football club.
"You saw it. They're drawn to him. When he's up and about, he has a huge influence on the kids and some of the senior players. They seemed to be sparked by him."
Reid will notch up his 50th AFL game against Collingwood on Saturday at the MCG after being taken with Pick 1 in the 2023 draft.
His explosiveness and football nous are traits of an elite player, but he has needed to work on his discipline on the field as a hot-headed midfielder.
Despite his infancy in the game, Beacham likened Reid's significance to a North Melbourne champion and the decision the shinboners made to appoint him captain at the young age of 21.
"I'll go back to 1993 as a North Melbourne supporter. Wayne Carey was 21 years of age when he was entrusted with the captaincy," Beacham explained.
"He was still a bit raw. He still had some disciplinary issues. But those kinks were ironed out along the way, and it proved to be a masterstroke.
"I dare say the time has come now for West Coast to look at Harley Reid and say, 'you're our man. We've invested a heap in you. We think you can take this club to the promised land'.
"I think Harley Reid should be captain of the Eagles sooner rather than later. Whether that's next year or 2028, in his fifth year, I'm not fussed, but they have to acknowledge he's the man."
