Rising Star favourite Harley Reid could be in a “world of pain”, according to Fox Footy’s David King, amid a nervous Match Review wait for a sling tackle.
Reid coughed up a free kick in his side’s clash with St Kilda on Saturday after grabbing the jumper of Saint Darcy Wilson and slinging him to the ground.
Wilson’s head made contact with the Optus Stadium turf in a result King is adamant the AFL is trying to stamp out.
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“He (Wilson) is not well,” King said.
“That’s a tackle we have to take out of the game.
“That’s the sling. Head hits the ground – it’s everything we don’t want. I’m sorry.
“If that is elevated to a suspension – we hope the young fella is alright first and foremost – if he has suffered a concussion, I think the Rising Star favourite is in a world of pain.
“The tackle, the action – it’s a problem for him.”
King later added Wilson didn’t have to be concussed or injured for the act to be careless conduct with medium impact, which would constitute a one-match suspension.
“We don’t want that to be the case. But we don’t want concussion either,” King said.
“You’ve got to choose your path as an industry. I think we’ve made that well known that (the tackle) is a no-no and unfortunately it looks like this weekend we’ll have the two favourites for the Rising Star (Reid and Sam Darcy) ineligible.”
Already Rising Star betting has been suspended as Reid and the AFL world await the Match Review’s finding.
But West Coast coach Adam Simpson wasn’t too concerned speaking about the incident post-game.
“I’m restricted a little bit,” he said in his press conference.
“I thought there was nothing in it. That’s what I’ll say.
Simmo not worried about Harley tackle | 08:23
“He’s 10-11 games in, he’s 19, he was sensational in the first half. So understandably he’s going to get some attention. We’ve got his back. We’ve got to deal with it as we go.
“His first half was blistering.
“I spoke to him – it was like, ‘mate I didn’t think there was much in it so keep going. Keep working through the tag’.”
Fellow commentator Will Schofield didn’t think the tackle warranted a suspension as there wasn’t “two actions” in Reid’s move to bring Wilson to ground in the third term.
But King remained firm that Reid needed to show a duty of care to Wilson.
“In that scenario, what alternative do you have?” Schofield asked.
“Anything but that,” King replied.
Wilson was able to return to the contest for the final term.
Already fellow Rising Star contender Sam Darcy is facing a two-match ban for his hit on Magpie Brayden Maynard on Friday night.
The moment soured what had been a brilliant performance by Reid where he had a whopping 17 touches and seven clearances in the opening half.