West Coast coach Andrew McQualter confident Harley Reid will stay at Eagles long-term but not Oscar Allen

West Coast coach Andrew McQualter has given the strongest indication yet the club is optimistic of young star Harley Reid remaining at the Eagles. Reid is still contracted for next season but is being offered eye-watering contracts from rival clubs to lure him back to his native Victoria with the latest a reported $25m offer from St Kilda. It has been widely reported Reid’s management has a complicated deal on the table for the 20-year-old to remain at the Eagles, which is worth about $22m over 11 years. Reid is sidelined with an ankle injury he sustained in the round 20 western derby loss to Fremantle, however, he was back out walking at training on Thursday as he looks to return for the first day of pre-season. McQualter said he was “really confident” Reid would be at the Eagles long-term despite constant speculation around his future. “He’s invested. I’ve spoken about this all along — every day Harley turns up to work he’s incredibly invested in this team, this club,” McQualter said. “I’m really optimistic Harley will be here, I love working with him and I’m hopeful we’ll work with him for a long time to come.” Asked if he was talking about if Reid would just see out his initial three-year draft contract which ended next year or be at the Eagles long-term, McQualter said: “I’m talking for a long time. “All I can judge it on is the behaviours that he comes in and does every day at the football club. “I’ve spoken about this a lot. The young man is really invested. He’s working hard to make us become better, to get himself better, he cares about the group, he cares about the club, so there’s signs that point to me that he’s really invested.” However, McQualter is unsure where Oscar Allen will play next year as the free agent continues to be linked to a move to reigning premiers Brisbane at the end of this year. “We speak to Oscar regularly, we’re in contact. We’re working with Oscar’s management. We’re still not clear where it will be but we’re working really hard to make Oscar a player here for a long time,” he said. “It’s not even about the co-captain being here or not. The job of a coach is two eyes on the present and one eye on the future … somehow, you’ve got to be able to do that as a coach and list manager. “You have to be able to forecast but you have to be able to live in the present as well so that’s what football clubs are about, and we’ll work our way through that.” Allen, 26, has not played since the round 14 defeat to Carlton because of an Achilles and knee injury in a turbulent season which saw him move to defence after his form dropped off as a key forward. He was also caught meeting with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell earlier this year, before taking time away from the club amid the attention from the AFL world about where he would play in 2026. Should Allen depart it is expected the Eagles will get pick No.2 in the draft as compensation for losing the free agent.