AFL legend Leigh Matthews has called on Fremantle star Murphy Reid to spend time this week watching footage of his best football, warning the 20-year-old must rediscover his instinctive game before Saturday's grand final showdown against Brisbane.
Reid has been one of the competition's most exciting players in 2025, earning his first All-Australian selection after a standout regular season. But the second-year sensation has looked out of sorts during the finals series, plagued by uncharacteristic errors and a hesitancy that has dulled his usual impact.
Matthews prescribes a confidence overload for Murphy Reid
Matthews, who guided Brisbane to three consecutive premierships between 2001 and 2003, says the fix is straightforward — Reid simply needs to stop overthinking and start backing his instincts.
"If ever there's a player who needs a confidence building overload this week, I'd be showing him his best footy 20 minutes a day for every day," Matthews said. "He's a ground-level player who's overthinking everything, and at the moment he's not getting the ball much. He doesn't know when to go, doesn't know when to drop back, he's just not backing himself."
Matthews wants everyone around Reid to reinforce a simple message — if the ball is there, go and get it.
"Every now and again he just doesn't go because he's thinking, 'Is it my turn to go or not go?'" Matthews said. "You've got to say, 'Mate, if the ball's there, you go and get it.' He's such a good player for them that if they're going to beat the Lions, certainly Murphy Reid has to be somewhere near the Murphy Reid that became an All Australian."
Teammate Dudley tells Reid he has more time than he thinks
Reid is not the only one who has noticed the issue. Dockers forward Isaiah Dudley says the young midfielder is rushing his disposal under perceived pressure and urges him to slow down and trust himself.
"He has more time than he thinks and it's just the pressure of the game," Dudley said. "We always tell him, 'Back yourself in, you've got more time.' He's showed that once he holds onto the ball a bit longer he can create something. It's just perceived pressure … good things happen when he holds onto the ball a bit longer."
Despite the struggles for polish and swagger, Reid has not been invisible during the finals — he tallied 24 disposals against Hawthorn, 23 against Geelong and 20 against Sydney in their thrilling preliminary final win, though observers have noted those numbers have lacked the authority and decisiveness that defined his home-and-away season.
Context: Reid's difficult run into the finals
Reid's path to the grand final has not been straightforward. He missed the final two games of the regular season after suffering an injury to his testicles during the round 22 loss to Melbourne at the MCG. His return to the side coincided with the knockout stages, where the stakes — and pressure — are at their highest.
Fremantle sealed their grand final berth in dramatic fashion, overcoming a 28-point deficit to defeat Sydney by 12 points in a pulsating preliminary final at the SCG. The victory set up an historic decider for the club and their fans, with 3000 tickets to an open training session at their Cockburn base selling out within hours of going on offer Monday.
A bittersweet occasion for Switkowski
Saturday's decider will carry an extra emotional dimension for Sam Switkowski, the 29-year-old Docker who announced his retirement on the eve of the finals. The grand final will be the last AFL match of his career, adding a poignant edge to what is already shaping as one of the most anticipated deciders in recent memory.
With the Lions awaiting and a premiership on the line, all eyes will be on whether Murphy Reid can silence the doubts and play the free-flowing football that earned him his All-Australian blazer — just when it matters most.
