After a slow start to the year, that line has trended on the upward curve and it continued to climb on Saturday when he produced his best game for the year.
Having endured another interrupted pre-season, the Flying Fijian started from a low base and the coaching staff always knew that he would build as the season progressed. Having missed so much work over summer he was going to need to gain his conditioning and touch while playing matches.
In the last month that graph of performance has seen him step it up significantly in each game, with the effort against the Suns comfortably his best of the year. He was another who responded to the challenge in the absence of senior ruck partner Dean Cox and skipper Darren Glass.
Do you think Nic Naitanui was best on ground? Have your say and vote for West Coast's MVP here.
Naitanui assumed responsibility for getting the Eagles going through the midfield, against the considerable Gold Coast group. Opposed for the most part to Zach Smith, Naitanui dominated the hit-outs, racking up 34 ruck knocks, most of them sublimely directed to the distinct advantage of West Coast’s midfield runners.
Aside from that he gathered 22 disposals, but it was his trade-mark follow-up work that was back, collecting seven hard-ball gets. And a little knock out of the congestion here, some subtle body there – the little influences that don’t make the stats sheet – where Naitanui excelled.
On a day when he celebrated his 100th game, Naitanui was the star of the show, particularly in the first three quarters. And, as a bonus, his mother Atetha travelled back from Fiji to watch the milestone game.
Aside from Naitanui’s performance, there were several other high calibre contributors, as the big man just shaded Josh Kennedy (seven goals), Shannon Hurn and Jeremy McGovern for best on ground honours.
He also found a valuable ally in ruck partner Scott Lycett, who had 16 disposals and 18 hit-outs.
In tandem, they gave West Coast a 53-34 hit-out advantage and, most importantly, the edge in centre bounce clearances 21-9.
Do you think Nic Naitanui was best on ground? Have your say and vote for West Coast's MVP here.
