How Reid’s West Coast future coulddepend on Warner’s potential Eagles move

THE feel around the AFL industry right now is that Sydney’s Chad Warner will find his way to West Coast later this year.

Warner, who has also been heavily linked with Fremantle, is out of contract with the Swans at the end of 2025 and could be on the way out if things play out the way many in the footy industry believe they will.

Veteran AFL journalist Damian Barrett feels that Warner will fly the coop at Sydney and end up with the Eagles, which could in turn convince No.1 draft pick Harley Reid to stay beyond his current deal which expires at the end of 2026.

That scenario would enable the Eagles to pull together a star-studded midfield similar to those seen in royal blue and gold in the past.

“I think it’s dependent upon what Chad Warner does in the short term,” Barrett said on The Sounding Board podcast regarding Reid’s West Coast future.

“If Warner goes to West Coast I think you’ve got a (Daniel) Kerr and (Chris) Judd arrangement beginning.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve already had a lot of conversations.

“The industry feel right now – and this is only industry feel and it doesn’t mean he goes – but the industry feel is that Chad Warner does go to West Coast at the end of this year when his contract is up.

“Wouldn’t that be an exciting midfield combo as a starting point.

“I do believe it’s linked, I really do.

“I think if Chad comes there will be an influx of players in the years after him.”

Co-host Craig Hutchison indicated that perhaps it was Warner who was one of the players making contact with former Eagles coach Adam Simpson last season.

Hutchison said: “I think Chad told West Coast that part of his appeal was when Adam Simpson referred to players who were ringing him.”

Barrett asked: “Do you reckon it was him?”

Hutchison replied: “It was him.”

Barrett proceeded to double down on his suggestion that Warner will up and leave the Swans at the culmination of the 2025 campaign.

“There’s not one person in footy – including Sydney Swans people – who feel right now, or are confident, that Chad Warner stays,” Barrett added.

“Harley Reid already has a contract into 2026, then they’ve got 12 months of runway potentially with Chad Warner on the team to make that work and to convince him that he should stay.”

Hutchison does not believe that the Tongala native will be forced into a decision by his management team headed by Nick Gieschen of Connors Sports Management.

“My read on Harley is that he is absolutely his own man,” Hutchison said. “I don’t think he’s going to be listening to a manager on what he does or doesn’t do.

“He’s a smart young man and I think he’ll do what he wants to do.

“I reckon the money he could get there would be (pretty good) … it’s a different economy in Western Australia.”

Barrett added further: “I think he’d get as much money to stay as to go.

“Often there’s the ‘go’ price and the ‘stay’ price and there’s a lot more to go.

“I think on this occasion it could be a (stay price).”

There continues to be plenty of speculation relating to Reid, who is expected to be the subject of massive offers from clubs all around Victoria.

He was seen sitting next to Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell at former Eagles teammate Tom Barrass’s wedding on the weekend, which again set the rumour mill alight.

SEN/ANDREW SLEVISON