Harley Reid touted as future AFL great<\/a><\/p>\nLuke Shuey believes Harley Reid will become an AFL great, as the midfielder grapples with scrutiny over how he approaches the game.<\/p>\n
If club\u2019s spend more than that limit, they are hit with a tax, which varies depending on how far over the limit they are.<\/p>\n
“They’re one of the clubs that actually could (pay the tax) no problems at all,” Bell, who won two premierships with North Melbourne, said on ABC Perth’s Sports Talk program.<\/p>\n
“They’ve got a whopping bank balance that is just sitting there, so should they on a short-term basis, say ‘we’re going to try and improve our number of development coaches to players ratio, and we’re going to go over \u00a0the soft cap. We’re going to write out the cheque’.<\/p>\n
“Because that’s going to, if they choose the coaches right, that has to expedite the development process.”<\/p>\n
Look further afield<\/p>\n
Bell said the club should also commit to filling its entire list of players, including Category B players, for a decade, in the hope it finds some decent performers from outside the AFL pathway.<\/p>\n
“Go to Ireland if there’s not enough (talent) within your own academy,” he said.<\/p>\n
“It’s a numbers game. You might waste 10 picks, but one of them might be a good player.”<\/p>\n
![\"Mark](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/372218b3b8418606e94ad7b126a74ddb\")
<\/p>\n
Mark Keane is one of 12 Irish-born AFL players competing in the 2025 season. (AAP Image\/Matt Turner)<\/p>\n
Several AFL clubs have had success recruiting from Ireland, with former Geelong star Zach Tuohy a recent example.<\/p>\n
There are currently 12 Irish players in the AFL, including Adelaide’s Mark Keane and Brisbane’s Connor McKenna.<\/p>\n
More brutal list management<\/p>\n
Bell said West Coast need to be ruthless when assessing whether players on the list have a future at the club, to create space for recruitment.<\/p>\n
“Even if they’re contracted, you’ve got total player payments [salary cap] space and you’re a wealthy club,” he said.<\/p>\n
“If a player’s got a two year contract, but you’ve made up your mind after one they’re not part of our long-term plans, not going to play 100 games, pay them out, move them on, get another pick.”<\/p>\n
![\"Jaydne](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1d9ce778c1040ce43923a3398fc5158e\")
<\/p>\n
Jayden Hunt has played 58 games for the Eagles since joining from Melbourne, but hasn’t got a contract for 2026. (AAP\/Richard Wainwright)<\/p>\n
West Coast coach Andrew McQualter has flagged he wants to bring in experienced players to fill the mid-20 age bracket, an area the club is struggling in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bell said the Eagles should do that through drafting and not trading.<\/p>\n
“You need your high-end draft picks to go to the draft. Nail your picks, get them right, and develop them,” he said.<\/p>\n
“If you want to bring some experience in, have a look at players you can bring in as delisted free-agents, free-agents, or at worst maybe a pick slide with one of your own picks.<\/p>\n
“Players will move for opportunity, but some of the teams up the top may need to shed some total player payment.<\/p>\n
“So can we attract a player that’s not getting an opportunity, that’s a big contract, which West Coast can afford, \u00a0can we get that player and can we get another draft pick?”<\/p>\n
Who should they bring over?<\/p>\n
Examples of players the Eagles could target include Deven Robertson and Brandon Starcevich at Brisbane, Adelaide’s Luke Peddler, or Elijah Tsatas from Essendon.<\/p>\n
![\"Deven](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20421888420e8981414e7dfaab47c096\")
<\/p>\n
Deven Robertson has been linked with a return to Western Australia after managing just 46 games in almost six seasons at Brisbane. (AAP Image\/Matt Turner)<\/p>\n
“It does come down to how much you have to pay to prise non-Western Australians to come here,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Players will move if they see the opportunity at a club.”<\/p>\n
Have something to share with the ABC’s WA newsroom?<\/a><\/p>\nWhether it’s an image, video, story, or tip-off, you can send it to the ABC’s West Australian newsroom here.<\/p>\n
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