This burgeoning superstar is on the verge of becoming the league’s first $300 million player. Reid, in his second season, was the first pick in the 2023 draft. In fact, he is already generating historic levels of interest from Victorian clubs that are desperate to land his signature.
As Reid has gone out and proven himself week after week, the chatter surrounding Reid’s future has only grown. Clubs are hard at work examining offers on contract offers. These deals would last a maximum of ten years and guarantee an annual payout of at least $1.5 million. With a three-year contract that runs through the end of next season, Reid could potentially be in a lame-duck situation. The pressure is mounting for him and the AFL to act.
Young superstar Kysaiah Pickett recently made waves for the Melbourne Demons. He just signed, get this, a nine-year deal, guaranteeing he will remain with the club through 2034! This contract earns Pickett the distinction of being the longest-served player in the AFL. It begs the question of what should be the long-term contracts that are available in the league. The ramifications of these deals have sent club officials into a tizzy, and with good reason regarding Reid’s fate.
Caroline Wilson, a leading Australian sports journalist, was the first to ring alarm bells about the anxiety creeping into the AFL around these mega-deals.
“The AFL are very worried about this. They tried to put this into the last CBA,” – Caroline Wilson
Wilson reiterated that these initiatives to limit the number of terms per contract, as well as a salary cap on contracts, failed. The league is increasingly looking towards the adoption of measures like those in place in the NBA.
“They tried to put term limits on contracts and money limits. They couldn’t get away with that. But I think they’re now looking at doing what the NBA does,” – Caroline Wilson
Of the 16 players, clubs are most scared of Reid. He remains an “emerging talent,” having spent less than two full seasons in the league.
“There definitely is (nervousness from clubs around long-term contracts) and most of it centres around Harley Reid, who to a degree is an unknown talent because he has been in the competition less than two full seasons so no-one quite knows yet what he’s capable of,” – Caroline Wilson
Former AFL player Luke Hodge explained that clubs don’t want to be blindsided and need to protect their interests. He thinks that’s especially true when they provide 20-30 year PPA contracts.
“I think to protect the club themselves, because people are giving big contracts that will finish when they’ve left the club,” – Luke Hodge
Hodge warned against the danger of locking-in long-term agreements. He noted that these risks only magnify in the case that a player gets injured or otherwise runs into other problems.
“So they won’t be held responsible and they won’t leave the club in bad situations if a nine or ten-year deal falls over through injury, through concussion,” – Luke Hodge
As discussions around Reid’s future continue, it remains to be seen how clubs will navigate the complexities of long-term contracts while ensuring both player and organizational stability.
