Harley Reid has been named as one of the top prospects in the Australian Football League (AFL). In last Tuesday’s game against the Giants, he was at the center of a pitched dugout exchange. The diminutive young player drew a foul and earned a free kick. Just like that, tempers rose and he found himself engaged in a pair of fights within a minute of one another.
Reid, known for his fend-off moves, triggered the play when he drew a free kick. This was following a knee injury suffered in a collision with Giants captain Toby Greene. To try and counter this move with one of her own, Greene answered with a huge fend-off that landed flush on Reid’s jaw. The contact was significant enough that Adam Papalia, commenting for Fox Sports, noted, “High fend from Toby Greene and that’s gone right up into the chin of Harley Reid.”
This confrontation was more than a show of physicality, it was a role reversal. Usually, Reid is celebrated for his fend-offs on the field. In this confrontation—as fate would have it—he was on the receiving end of Greene’s hostile intimidation efforts. Papalia remarked on this role reversal, stating, “He’s normally the one dishing out the fend.”
In rapid succession, Greene hit Reid a 3rd time, bringing down an enormous forearm chop within the heart of Reid’s sternum. That was the action that sparked even more animosity between both teams on the field. Dermott Brereton, analyzing the match, humorously suggested Greene’s intent was to prove a point: “He thought he’d set the kid straight there (laughs). Just saying you’re not the only one who can do this.”
The increasing tension made it necessary for the umpire to intervene. He penalised Reid a second time with an identical free kick, allegedly close enough to warrant a 50-metre penalty. Before play could resume, Greene viciously hurled the helmet back at Reid, escalating the still tense situation even more.
Reid couldn’t recover in time after Greene blasted Reid to the turf. Without hesitation, the match officials blew the whistle as fast as they could to restore order to the match. That exchange created quite another fracas as both sides pushed and shoved during the few seconds of the standoff.
This unfortunate circumstance hearkens back to another example earlier this year involving North Melbourne midfielder Luke Davies-Uniacke. He himself experienced a concussion from an equally egregious high hit only days before. Tension skated over the field as the rivalry flared up. In a surprising turn, Reid, whose aggressive defensive approach made him a legend in the game, was on the defensive.
