How Hawthorn can get both Oscar Allen and Harley Reid, Garry Lyon plea to West Coast

Melbourne champion Garry Lyon has urged West Coast to take Hawthorn’s reported interest in its star players “personally” and make the most of its power and standing in the AFL.

It comes as Herald Sun reporter Jon Ralph broke down how the Hawks, who sit 4-0 after four rounds, could prise both Oscar Allen and Harley Reid out of the Eagles at season’s end.

Lyon on Tuesday night delivered a scathing assessment of Eagles co-captain Allen’s decision to meet with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell recently, declaring if he were a West Coast player, “I would look at Oscar Allen differently today than I did yesterday”. Lyon added on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 it “wouldn’t totally surprise me if he stood down as captain”.

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But the former Melbourne captain also declared “nice guys come last” in the trade space, calling for the Eagles to be proactive with Hawthorn players.

“This is not a criticism of Hawthorn,” Lyon told AFL 360. “In fact, it is ‘good on you’, because you’re in the big leagues and you’re playing the big leagues. You’ve already stolen their full-back (Tom Barrass) and now you’re doubling down after their captain and, if you’re led to believe, maybe the No. 1 pick (Reid).

“So West Coast need to take this personally. I got on the West Coast website before ... They’re the wealthiest club in this competition, their list of sponsors are enormous.

Lyon: 'I would look at him differently' | 08:33

“Get the five biggest, heaviest hitters you possibly can assemble in the room and go to Lloyd Meek and go to Calsher Dear and go to Josh Ward and sit him in the room and say: ‘Hey, you want to make some real money in this game? This is what we can do for you.’ And turn their heads. Turn Lloyd Meek’s head so he’s sitting there going: ‘God, I didn’t know I was a regular player (in the past), now you’re telling me I can make $1 million?’

“Make it difficult for Hawthorn ... that’s my mentality. Don’t sit there and go ‘yeah, come over and meet with whoever the hell you want’. This was a once feared, powerful football club that had more money than anyone else in the game – and probably still do. Well, use it.

“Lloyd Meek’s on fire at the moment. Go and turn his head and, at worst, Hawthorn go: ‘Hmm, now we’ve got to get Oscar sorted. I want to get Harley, how am I going to fit Lloyd in when he’s now asking for 850 (grand)?’

“I think they’ve got to flex, West Coast. Don’t just sit there and take it.”

Speaking on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle, Ralph said he wouldn’t be surprised if Allen moved clubs at season’s end considering the situation.

Oscar Allen and Harley Reid of the Eagles. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images Source: Getty Images

“In any other circumstances I’d criticise him (Allen for meeting with Mitchell), but I think West Coast has given him an offer that he absolutely can refuse,” Ralph told Midweek Tackle.

“So other clubs, Hawthorn and Brisbane, at the front of the queue – I think they’re the only two real contenders – have offered longer (tenures), more money. He’s right now got a deal (from West Coast) with not amazing guaranteed money. He knows the Eagles would get a top-five pick for him if he left – they’re not pushing him out, but I don’t think they’d be shattered to lose him.

“I think he knows what the Eagles are doing with him and what they did with Elliot Yeo last year: ‘We’ll give you an OK deal, now you prove it to us by Round 14 or 15 (why you deserve more).’ (But) he might’ve made up his mind by Round 14 or 15 that he wants to go. He’s seen his good mate Tom Barrass – 4-0, flying, playing great football – I just think it’s going in that direction right now.”

Allen’s reported meeting with Mitchell comes amid speculation the Eagles are also concerned with young star Reid’s contract situation and rival clubs’ growing confidence the No. 1 draft pick would be open to leaving West Coast at season’s end.

'He can't help himself' - Simmo on Reid | 00:54

Essendon and Richmond, who both own two 2025 first-round picks, had been flagged as the most likely suitors for Reid, who’s contracted until the end of 2026, should he consider a move back to Victoria.

But Hawthorn has also been linked to Reid – and Ralph believes the Hawks would be hard to ignore.

“I think Essendon felt like they were in really good nick in regards to getting him (Reid) if he came home this year … I think now the fear is Hawthorn has just gone past, the Sam Mitchell charisma machine has gone past them at warp speed.

Ralph also broke down why the Hawks would be in a great position to strike a trade with West Coast for Reid.

They hold Carlton’s first-round and second-round 2025 picks, the Eagles’ fourth-rounder and their own 2026 and 2027 first-round selections, while they also have a suite of players unable to get into the AFL team due to strong internal competition for best 23 spots.

“You look at the depth they’ve got and there’s probably 10 players in that team who are not playing who are either injured or in the VFL who would play in every other team,” Ralph said.

'He made him look inept' | 01:42

“(Ned) Reeves and (Max) Ramsden are ruckmen, who West Coast want, (Henry) Hustwaite the inside midfielder … They could take their pick of a couple of those players – and multiple elite picks, including the elite pick from Carlton.

“It’s absolutely on that Hawthorn are chasing him hard, it’s absolutely on that he’s thinking about it. It’s just a matter of which one of those clubs – if he decides (to leave West Coast) – gets him there – and Hawthorn’s got the trade collateral.”

Fellow Herald Sun reporter Josh Barnes said the prospect of the undefeated Hawks acquiring both Allen and Reid was “pretty scary”.

“The two things Hawthorn is potentially missing right now – if they are missing anything at all – is a really explosive midfielder – that’s possibly Harley Reid – and a key forward who can dominate games – and that might be Oscar Allen,” Barnes said on Midweek Tackle.

“If they bring in those two players from West Coast and Sam Mitchell takes two more players from his old club that he finished up his career with, it is just a frightening prospect to partner Harley Reid and Will Day in the centre square for the next 10 years.”

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