Footy legend Peter Sumich quits his media job after being barred from criticising one of the AFL’s brightest young stars over his ‘puppy fat’

Former West Coast star Peter Sumich quit his job as a newspaper columnist because an article he wrote criticizing the Eagles’ No. 1 draft pick, Harley Reid, was rejected.

The big man, 56, said he stopped writing for the Western Australian newspaper because the paper called his opinion of Reid “too harsh” and refused to publish it.

“I gave the kid a push and told him he was going to be a good player, but everyone goes on like he’s (former West Coast superstar) Chris Judd,” Sumich said. news corporation.

“I was there when Chris Judd was there and what I saw of Chris Judd in his first two or three years, this kid doesn’t even compare to Chris Judd, so I don’t know why people continue like this.

‘I said he has a little puppy fat and needs to sort this and that, but that was it.

‘He (Reid) has been here since about December, so let’s say 50 days, and I estimate he’s been in the paper for 40 of those 50 days… and on the back page for probably 20 of them. … It is not a good sign.’

Reid was signed by West Coast in last November’s draft in a move that surprised no one in football.

The highly rated Victorian was arguably the most hyped recruit in AFL history, and is seen by many experts as a generational talent.

Reid was forced to defend himself ahead of the draft amid speculation that he wasn’t too happy about moving across the country.

“Sometimes it was pretty annoying when they would say it and they didn’t really even know you,” Reid said.

“It (the Eagles’ jump shot) is in me now, so I hope that gets the word out that I’m looking forward to going there and getting stuck into it.”

Reid has joined a rebuilding West Coast team that has won just five games in the last two seasons and will wear the number 9 guernsey made famous by club greats Ben Cousins ​​and Nic Naitanui.

Sumich built a well-deserved reputation as one of the competition’s leading forwards, scoring 514 goals in his 150 games for the Eagles from 1989 to 1997.

That made him the club’s all-time leading scorer when he retired, and he played a leading role in the club’s first premiership win in 1992.

He then became an assistant coach at West Coast and Fremantle after his playing days ended.