Sydney ruck coach Dean Cox says minimising Nic Naitanui’s influence the key to stopping star Eagle
SYDNEY ruck coach Dean Cox says stopping West Coast star Nic Naitanui will be near impossible in Friday night’s match of the round at the SCG. But the Swans do have some inside knowledge.
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SYDNEY ruck coach Dean Cox says stopping West Coast’s one-man wrecking machine Nic Naitanui will be near impossible when the teams meet in Friday night’s match of the round at the SCG — containment is the only option.
Cox knows the prodigiously-talented Eagle better than most, having played alongside him for his last six years as a player and then working with him for the past three as an assistant coach.
Sydney’s surprise success in the ruck, Callum Sinclair, has some insider knowledge as well having played alongside Naitanui in his three years in the west before he was traded to the Swans for Lewis Jetta.
The Swans inflicted West Coast’s only defeat this year in round one but Sinclair and Cox know all the homework in the world could add up to nothing if the super-athletic big man gets on a roll.
“Containment is what you have to concentrate on,” Cox said.
“You have to force him into certain areas and try to restrict him as much as you can. If and when he does get going you have to try to stop that momentum.
“It will come and he will have an impact on the game. It’s about minimising it when it does happen it’s about reducing the time he can impact. We’ve got a few things in place but we know he will get off the chain as some time, hopefully it’s not for too long.”
It’s no accident that the Eagles’ rise to the top of the AFL ladder this year has coincided Naitanui’s return to action after a year off with an ACL injury.
The last time he was fully fit West Coast won through to the 2015 grand final. At 10-1 they will have their sights on the last day in September again — and Naitanui’s role will be pivotal.
“He probably will be our number one headache on Friday night,” Cox said.
“He’s shown throughout this season how important he is to his football club with the drive he gives them. A lot of people gave him some criticism about what he can’t do on a football field but one thing he does is provide an unbelievable contest and unpredictability in the ruck.”
He will also provide a physicality which will test the Swans’ nerves. He was suspended for his tackle on Port Adelaide’s Karl Amon in round seven but Cox is expecting the same level of aggression on Friday night at the SCG.
“He comes with real speed and he hits really hard,” Cox said.
“He can impact in different ways and his physicality is one of them.
“From there, once the ball leaves his hand he has an enormous ability to follow up and pressure and win his own footy and create around the contest. He has an influence for about 20 metres around where he is which is unbelievable to watch. It’s not just Nic winning his own ball, it’s the pressure he brings which is physical and perceived.”
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Originally published as Sydney ruck coach Dean Cox says minimising Nic Naitanui’s influence the key to stopping star Eagle
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