HARLEY Reid's two-game suspension earlier this year hasn't just cost the gun West Coast youngster the Telstra AFL Rising Star this year. It is also likely to see him fall just short of breaking a competition record.

Reid's ability to execute an EFO (effective fend-off) had already been well renowned as a feature of his game before he reached the AFL and he has brought it immediately into his arsenal at the top level.

The Eagles' No.1 pick was on track to break the AFL record for the most broken tackles in a season, which has been held by Richmond superstar Dustin Martin in 2017, when he broke 68 tackles in the home and away season.

It is the most by any player in a season since Champion Data started recording the statistic and Reid was on track to comfortably eclipse it earlier this year.

However his one-game rest and then two-game suspension is now likely to see him fall short, with Reid registering 50 from 16 matches so far this season, at an average of 3.1 a game. It sees him ranked second in total broken tackles in the competition this year, behind Sydney's Chad Warner who has broken three more tackles but played three more games.

04:05

Four minutes of Harley Reid fend-offs and broken tackles

Enjoy Harley Reid fending and shaking tackles against some of the best players in the game

Published on May 21, 2024

If Reid keeps up his average in the final four games he will just be pipped by Martin's 2017 numbers in his all-time Brownlow Medal, premiership and North Smith Medal campaign that saw the Tigers break their 37-year flag drought.

The 19-year-old Reid and Warner sit well and truly as the EFO specialists in the League this season, with a big gap between them and the players next on the broken tackle count: North Melbourne's Luke Davies-Uniacke (33), Hawthorn's James Worpel (30) and Brisbane's Cam Rayner (29). 

Chad Warner fends off Andrew Brayshaw during the match between Fremantle and Sydney at Optus Stadium in round nine, 2024. Picture: Getty Images

Reid was suspended for two games for his tackle on St Kilda's Darcy Wilson in round two, ruling him out of Rising Star eligibility. 

MOST BROKEN TACKLES IN 2024
PLAYER MATCHES TOTAL
Chad Warner 19 53
Harley Reid 16 50
Luke Davies-Uniacke 19 33
James Worpel 19 30
Cam Rayner 19 29
Jake Soligo 19 28
Jason Horne-Francis 17 25
Marcus Bontempelli 19 22
Matthew Johnson 16 22
Jai Newcombe 19 22