Reid had a slow start to his career, after appearing just once in the 1972 VFL season, he did not play a senior game in 1973 and was used just twice in 1974.
[1] In 1975 he moved to Footscray, the club that his father Bruce Reid senior had played for.
[1] At the age of 24 he finally put together a sequence of appearances when he played in all but one fixture from round 10 of the 1977 season.
[1] Reid joined the Sydney Swans in 1982, for their first league season after relocating.
His contribution to the club as a player was minimal, but he later served the Swans as a reserves coach and football manager.