The 18-year-old from Tongala had already impressed in his first game for Vic Country in this year’s championships, kicking three goals inside 10 minutes in the loss to South Australia, and continued that vein of form against Western Australia.
The star recorded an equal game-high 26 disposals and kicked two goals at the WACA, one each in the first and third quarters, as his side recorded a 8.13 (61) to 8.11 (59) victory, its first of the championships.
"Personally, I felt like I played well, and we played well as a team obviously,” Reid said.
“It was up and down in that last quarter, I was a bit nervous here and there.
“The end result was what we wanted, and I couldn't be happier.
“Heading over to Perth, being two hours behind, there’s probably a lot of challenges that we faced, and to go over and win was probably something that we will cherish, so it was good.”
With all of his strength and power on display, the highly touted young gun won the ball at the coalface, notching five clearances while drawing plenty of attention from the Sandgropers when running through the middle.
He rotated up forward too, situating himself as the deepest forward for Vic Country at stages, drawing comparisons to Dustin Martin for his ability to outmuscle midfield opponents in the goal square.
Despite missing a couple of tough chances, Reid put forward a display that only strengthened his position as the best of the draft crop.
In the lead-up to draft night, the media attention on Reid has intensified, yet he remains remarkably level-headed.
"We landed in Perth airport on Thursday and I just went to get my luggage, next minute there’s four or five cameras in front of me, it was like I’d committed a crime,” he said with a laugh.
“I look back at that and it showed that’s what it’s all about, and there’s a lot going on at the moment with that stuff.
“I’ve found that the media is a big thing in the footy world, but I’m pretty cruisy with it, I don’t think too far ahead, I just think more in the moment.
“Being captain of the Pios and Vic Country now, it probably gives me the more team aspect and I forget about that kind of stuff, which I really feel like has helped me.”
The heightened media focus in Perth comes as a result of West Coast currently holding the number one pick in this year’s draft.
West Coast football boss Gavin Bell was in attendance to watch Reid on Friday night, with pressure mounting on the Eagles to select Reid rather than trade the selection for multiple picks.
Recruiters will get another look at Reid and Vic Country this Sunday at RSEA Park in Moorabbin, where the team will take on the undefeated Allies side, which features a number of likely top-10 picks.
“When you look at their team, you see each part of the ground they’ve got a high contender (for the draft),” Reid said.
“It will be a good challenge for us and our players to get their name out there too, so I’m looking forward to it and hopefully it’s a good day for it.”
The final game of the championships will be a rematch between the top two sides from last year in Vic Country and Vic Metro on July 16 at IKON Park.
Reid was among the best for the Country side last year against Metro as a bottom-ager, kicking two goals, and will look to exact revenge this year after his side went down by seven points in a thrilling finale.
