Harley Reid learns his fate over X-rated act – as a Brownlow medallist goes in to bat for the young Eagles star after his rocky start to the season
Harley Reid has learned his fate after the young West Coast star appeared to flip his middle finger up to Brisbane fans at the Gabba during his side’s defeat to the Lions on Saturday.
The 19-year-old midfielder, who has been heavily scrutinised by multiple pundits at the start of the 2025 campaign, was jeered by fans after he had been seen wrestling Dane Zorko on the floor.
Thanks to an indiscretion by Oscar McInerney, Reid won a free-kick close to the touchline, before he was again heckled by Lions fans – one of whom even appeared to offer him a tissue.
Reid subsequently stuck up his middle finger and has since been fined $1,000 by the AFL for the incident, according to Channel 7’s Sam Edmund.
Harley Reid was at the centre of a controversial moment on Sunday after he appeared to raise his middle finger to Brisbane Lions fans
Brisbane fans had appeared to jeer and goad the Eagles youngster, with one attempting to hand him a tissue
Reacting to the news on Seven’s The Agenda Setters, Kane Cornes said that the 2023 No 1 Draft Pick ‘got off lightly’.
It came after the Eagles had been issued a ‘please explain’ request by the AFL over the gesture made by Reid – who is currently in his second season at the club.
He had initially escaped a penalty from the match review officer but bosses had sought greater explanation around the incident, as they assessed whether he was deserving of a penalty.
Eagles boss Andrew McQualter had brushed off the moment as ‘a bit of fun’.
‘There’s a fair bit of commentary about Harley all the time, so last week was not necessarily different,’ McQualter said post-match.
‘We try and bash the theatre out of this game, don’t we?
‘He’s just having a bit of fun and sometimes that’s good for the game, I think.’
Reid also appeared to have a bit of fun with fans on social media, following the incident, as he changed his Instagram display picture to a picture of Ben Cousins also ‘flipping the bird’.
More to follow…
