A full pre-season, injury-free run and the motivation to make up for lost time proved to be a potent combination for West Coast’s talismanic ruckman as he delivered the best season of his career. From the opening round when he jumped all over Melbourne giant Max Gawn, Naitanui wielded an immense influence as the Eagles navigated a challenging season on many fronts. The superstar big man’s dominance was reflected best by Geelong coach Chris Scott’s comment post the Eagles’ comeback win in round nine – engineered by Naitanui’s unrivalled stoppage craft - when he declared the problem with kicking goals against West Coast was the ball going back to the middle for a centre bounce. That area of the ground became a potent weapon for Adam Simpson’s men in 2020, thanks to Naitanui, and his impact was reflected by claiming his maiden John Worsfold Medal in the same season he was named lead ruck in the All Australian team for the second time.

Standout performance: Mesmerising magician at work

Naitanui’s masterclass in the aforementioned win over the Grand Final-bound Cats, one of the games of the year, will be the game remembered best from his many standout displays this year. From the opening bounce, he directed a deft touch palm to Luke Shuey, who found Tim Kelly before the ball ended up in Josh Kennedy’s arms for the first goal within 12 seconds. In the final term, Naitanui’s silver service to surprise rover Kennedy for a quick-thinking snap ignited the home crowd as the Eagles surged to a rousing triumph. The ruck behemoth was a bull around the footy all night, and finished with 34 hit-outs, four clearances, 10 disposals, seven inside 50s and six score involvements, although those stats don’t tell anywhere near the full story from an incredible game.

Season averages:

Disposals – 11.4

Contested possessions – 9.4

Hitouts To Advantage – 8.5

Total Clearances – 5.6

Inside 50s – 3.6

2020 AFL statistical rankings:

2^nd: Hitouts

2^nd: Score launches

3^rd: Hitouts to advantage

3^rd: Centre clearances

3^rd: Total clearances

5^th: Contested possession rate

6^th: Hitout Win Percentage

10^th: Stoppage clearances