Reid was one of Collingwood's best in its thrilling draw with Melbourne at the MCG, producing 22 disposals in a performance that saw him nominated for the NAB AFL Rising Star Award.
Unfortunately for the Pies, Reid's poise around the ground was not emulated by his teammates in front of goal. Collingwood had 10 more scoring shots than the Demons, but only managed a draw after kicking 9.22.
Nevertheless, Reid's game -- the 17th of his fledgling career -- was arguably his best and looks to have cemented his place in a Collingwood team seemingly bound for some serious September action.
The 195cm defender is a walking lesson in the benefit of patience.
Taken at No.8 in the 2006 NAB AFL Draft, he has had four years in the system. But the 21-year-old (he celebrated his birthday in April) was still under the age and games requirements at the start of this season to qualify for the Rising Star award.
All the time and effort spent in development mode - from both the player and the club - is now starting to pay off in spades. Reid has already played nine games this season and has slotted seamlessly into centre-half back for the Pies.
The Rising Star nomination, however, came as a shock as he was unaware that he was eligible.
He paid tribute to the system and the coaches that had got him to the point of being a regular AFL player when he talked to afl.com.au on Tuesday morning.
"It does feel a bit weird - I didn't even know I was eligible until I got told this morning that I had received the nomination," he said with a laugh.
"I think being able to come up through the VFL has been a good thing - obviously I changed roles last year, to play as a defender in the VFL, so I had to learn a new role, as I'd been groomed as a forward before that.
"Us big blokes come in a bit under-developed, where the midfielders come in a bit more developed than we are, but obviously a few pre-seasons in the gym to get your strength up really helps.
"It's been good to learn under Gavin Brown (VFL coach) and Luke Beveridge (development coach). Last year they really helped me a lot with my defensive work, and this year Scotty Watters has been great as a defensive coach.
Reid has blossomed as a key defender, with his kicking and decision-making coming along nicely.
"I suppose the decision-making comes with confidence and with playing at that level - you get a few games and that allows you to get to the tempo a little bit more, and your decision-making definitely gets better as well.
"Once you play five or six games in a row, you feel more confident after every game - getting used to the tempo is the main thing."
