James Hird has described the nine-year option floated for Harley Reid's next contract as "a waste of time" with new details emerging around him becoming the first $2 million man.
On Monday night's episode of Nine's Footy Classified, it was revealed that Reid's management had approached the Eagles with a contract offer. That offer was for two years initially with a nine-year option.
9news Melbourne's Tom Morris revealed on Tuesday night's episode that the two years of that deal in 2027 and 2028, would be worth $2m a season.
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The Eagles haven't accepted it. Reid's management reportedly don't want the talks to drag into his final contract year and will either extend or seek a trade.
"That just sounds crazy, it's crazy money isn't it but I suppose it's market forces," Hird said on Footy Classified.
For Hird, the option could have problems for the club and the playing group, describing it as "a waste of time".
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"I think if you pay that money you want to bank a bit further down the track, he may go straight after that," he said.
"If you don't think you can keep him past that period, why are you keeping him? You're still in the rebuild phase. You're not going to get up the ladder. Rebuild around players that want to stay."
Rory Sloane added the money for a younger player is "way too risky".
"Especially when you can go out and maybe trade him and get some picks and then pay a few more players and trade in a couple," he said.
Hird went on to double down about the option, saying it would be "short-sighted".
"If you're building a list, you're building a club, building a team to go forward and be the next premiership team and the rest of the list knows that guy is there for two years and may or may not (continue) … it just seems short-sighted to keep a name so that they're seen to be doing the right thing rather than putting a list in place that you know they're going to be there for," he said.
