Nic Naitanui in doubt for West Coast’s Round 1 clash against Sydney
NIC Naitanui is in the top 10 most popular SuperCoach picks this season but the Eagles ruckman is struggling to be fit for West Coast’s season opener against Sydney.
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NIC Naitanui is struggling to be fit for West Coast’s season opener against Sydney, with the Eagles ruckman no certainty to play any part in the JLT Community Series.
The Eagles have already ruled Naitanui out of their opening JLT clash against Port Adelaide this Sunday.
Naitanui, who missed the entire 2017 season after rupturing his ACL in Round 22, 2016, is highly doubtful for Round 1 if he sits out West Coast’s final practice match against Fremantle on March 11.
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His delayed return poses a dilemma for SuperCoach players with Naitanui in the top 10 most popular picks this pre-season and the second most selected ruckman.
Priced at $465,900, Naitanui is in 36 per cent of teams but a question mark now hangs over when he’ll return. which is likely to be via the WAFL.
If the Eagles can guarantee a Round 2 comeback Naitanui — who averaged 105.9 points from 15 games in 2016 — is worth hanging on to.
West Coast had been optimistic Naitanui would be ready for the Swans on March 25 after he started training with the main group earlier this month.
Earlier this month, Eagles assistant coach Sam Mitchell said the star ruckman had been taking a slow-and-steady approach.
“He’s aimed for round one but he hasn’t got into the competitive stuff yet,” Mitchell said.
“The risk of putting him into competitive work at any point is there. So whenever we do that, it needs to be at the right time and with as little amount of risk as possible.
Naitanui was an outside chance of returning during last year’s finals series before the Eagles decided not to take the risk.
Originally published as Nic Naitanui in doubt for West Coast’s Round 1 clash against Sydney
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