Matthew Lloyd says West Coast must remain aware of No.1 draft pick Harley Reid's homesickness, as they continue to manage the superstar's budding career.
It comes after Reid admitted his 19th birthday, spent in WA, was the "worst" of his life.
Reid admitted after their win over the Demons in round 10 that he has been feeling homesick, especially after missing spending his 19th birthday, on April 17, with his family back home in Victoria.
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"In April there's three of our birthdays," he told ABC radio on Sunday night.
"I missed my sister's, and mine too. I got to spend that on my own.
"It was probably the worst birthday."
Reid was rested at the end of April, missing the Eagles' clash against the Suns in round seven, with the club granting him leave to fly back home to spend some much-needed time with his loved ones.
It was the saving grace the young midfielder needed at the time.
"It was good to get back and I felt like I needed to see the family," he said.
"It was good to connect back there with them."
The young midfielder also confessed that he is missing the ease of being able to drive home to see friends and family whenever he wants.
"Sometimes on your day off you'd love to drive around and see your family but obviously you can't, so it was good to get a weekend home and see the family," Reid said.
"I'm 19, I've never moved out of home, so I don't know any different without my parents around and my family."
Now, Lloyd is calling on the Eagles to tread lightly with Reid, considering his instant impact on not only their club, but football in WA and around the entire country.
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The Essendon legend wants the club to consider giving Reid, who had never lived anywhere other than Bendigo until he was drafted at the end of last year, more solace as he navigates living in a different state.
"An Olympic athlete, you are representing yourself, and it's about you. They're (football players) in a situation, this is somebody that is a once-in-a-25-30-year period ... that's where you go to lengths that are different to everybody else," Lloyd said on Nine's Footy Classified on Wednesday night.
"You might say to somebody else, 'mate, this is an AFL career, you signed up for $300,000, deal with it'.
"But this is a situation where you do treat someone a little differently."
Reid has already been nominated for the league's rising star award in round five.
Most recently, his double fend-off against Melbourne's star midfielders Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver caught the attention of the footy world.
The Eagles are 3-7 after 10 rounds, sitting in 16th on the ladder.
They face off against Adelaide on Sunday evening.
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