Nic Naitanui says footy players need to accept they are role models whether they like it or not
He may count LeBron James, Ben Simmons and Kendall Jenner as his party pals, and Julie Bishop as his travel guide, but a down-to-earth Nic Naitanui says footy players need to be real and accept that they are role models, even if they don’t want to be.
Fiona Byrne
Don't miss out on the headlines from Fiona Byrne. Followed categories will be added to My News.
West Coast Eagles star Nic Naitanui says he almost feels “a duty of care” to be a positive role model for kids.
Known for his on field brilliance, the powerful ruckman is setting very high goals off field. Born in Sydney to Fijian parents, Naitanui’s family moved to Perth when he was young. Gifted at sport he was picked up by the Eagles in the 2008 national draft. Footy is more than a game for the 28-year-old who is using his profile to create opportunities for kids from underprivileged backgrounds.
RELATED CONTENT:
COURIER BACKS KYRGIOS, WILLIAMS TENNIS TANTRUMS
PERSON PETE EVANS ADMIRES MOST IS HIMSELF
THE SECRETS BEHIND NEIGHBOURS’ CASTING SUCCESS
No stranger to overcoming setbacks, Naitanui, who is recovering after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee last July, is fronting a new “Australia’s Favourite” campaign with Bega Peanut Butter to encourage kids to be resilient, chase their dreams, and eat a good breakfast.
I caught up with Naitanui to discuss faith, travel, Julie Bishop, and why he believes all footballers are role models whether they want to be or not.
FB: Hi Nic, thank you for your time. You were selected by the Eagles in the 2008 national draft. Was playing AFL professionally always your goal.
NN: I played a lot of different sports when I was growing up and it wasn’t until my late teens that I started to take footy a lot more seriously. I got offers to go and do high jump in America and I wanted to play basketball. My childhood hero was Michael Jordan and my family all played rugby, so I played a bit of that as well. When I was growing up I was lucky enough to have three or four other guys who wanted to follow that football path as well and we had a really good coach and we all fortunately got drafted into the AFL. I guess at the time they (the coach) probably did not realise the impact they were having, but where we grew up it was a very low socio-economic community and a lot of my friends got into bad habits or did the wrong thing, and we were fortunate to have someone who was always driving us and pointing us in the right direction. I look back and am very grateful for that.
FB: Most AFL players seem to head to Bail or Las Vegas for their end of season trips but you did something very different last year going to the Holy Land and visiting the Syrian border.
NN: I had done most of those other things before and wanted a change so I looked into going over there to the Middle East. There is a footy team over there, the Tel Aviv Cheetahs, so I went and spent a bit of time with them. We kind of linked up through one of our ticket holders here, Julie Bishop. She kind of organised a few things for me, more from a security and safety point of view, and put me on to a few people who were able to direct me on the right path and tell me where to go and what to do. She is a very helpful resource to have on your side.
FB: Your faith is clearly important to you. What impact did that trip have on you?
NN: I have grown up with it my whole life. My family has visited there before and it is something I never really have had the chance to do so I thought what better opportunity to go than last year.
You hear and read a lot of stories about these places and the reality when you get to go there is very interesting. Visiting places like Nazareth or Bethlehem, Jerusalem, the Jordan River, I
guess when it is real and you can actually see it, it brings some of the stories to life. For me it was that journey, but I also got to see some of the hospitals and refugee camps. I went to the Syrian border. It was pretty confronting and eye opening but at the same time I am pretty happy I got to do it. It gives you a lot of perspective.
FB: Did spending the Christmas/New Year period training at UCLA aid your knee reconstruction recovery?
NN: I was away in America for two or three weeks. The AFL has a link with one of the colleges over there so I just based myself there with one of my trainers and did a fair bit of what I do here and a few different things as well. The biggest thing is continuity and doing it over and over. Rather than having a rest during that (training break) period I saw it as a chance to get away and do some extra and different stuff.
FB: I hear you saw in the New Year with the likes of LeBron James, Drake, Ben Simons and Kendall Jenner.
NN: There was a party. One of the boys, a Melbourne boy actually, he plays basketball over there, took me along. It was a good night. It was good fun. He (LeBron) had seen AFL before. He knew of Collingwood. (Matthew) Dellavedova used to play with him in Cleveland. He was a mad Pies supporter so I think that might be why.
FB: You are fronting a new campaign for Bega Peanut Butter in which you talk about working through adversity. Overcoming setbacks is something you are familiar with following your first ACL rupture that meant you missed the 2017 season and then your second ACL injury that sidelined you from round 17 last year. What have you learnt from those injuries?
NN: Everyone has adversity in their life at some stage and the biggest thing to me is having perspective and keeping in mind there is always someone who is worse off. For me it is about remembering that at the end of the day my knee is a knee and I am still alive and breathing, am pretty healthy and am walking around. Putting it into perspective in the bigger picture of the world, trips like going to the Middle East have let me see how some of the people are living there and some of the hardships they face.
FB: It had to be tough - heartbreaking even - to watch your teammates triumph in the Grand Final.
NN: I’d be lying if I said it was not tough at all. It was hard at times but at the same time I was happy for the guys. I had a little bit of an involvement, a coaching role, towards the end. Obviously it was something you want to be a part of, but it was good to see some of the guys who have been around for 10-plus years fulfil some of those dreams. I was pretty jealous of some of the younger guys who are only 18 or so and just rolled in and they got one (a Grand Final win). At the same time there is always someone who misses out and that is just the way of football. Fingers crossed I am still playing so hopefully I get a chance at some stage.
FB: What are your thoughts on footballers being role models?
NN: In my eyes I reckon every single player is (a role model) to some degree. I guess some guys – only a minority – look at it as that they are only there to play football, but I think the vast majority look at it holistically and say there is more to it than just playing footy. There are the people you touch in the community and the influence you have on the younger generation and the older generations as well.
Kids seem to listen to football players more than they listen to their parents or teachers, which is a funny thing, so what we say can really have a big impact. It is not something I take lightly. I think players are role models but to what capacity you accept that probably varies from player to player.
FB: I understand the Academy is about more than just talent development.
NN: The Naitanui Academy, we are about helping kids of all different backgrounds, not only helping them with football but with their health, education and nutrition. The bigger picture is football touches a lot of lives. It is not just about what happens on the field or about watching the players play, there are a lot of things that being an AFL footballer can help bring to the community. At the moment we are focusing on providing opportunities for multicultural kids, but it is more so about social inclusion and using footy as a vehicle to drive that.
FB: Who inspired you growing up?
NN: Local footy coaches or people in my area that were doing something well through music or art. What they were doing was more tangible. You could see them setting goals and doing it rather than watching someone on TV or on the other side of the world.
I definitely had those big idols and heroes on the bigger scale but the local talent were the ones I looked up to more so.
FB: What is the advice you give to students and young athletes?
NN: Dare to dream and don’t give up. There are going to be down times because everyone has those moments in their life, but you will get through it and when you do the rewards on the other side are a lot bigger and more satisfying. Everyone faces adversity to some degree in their life and there is always a way out. One of our coaches gave me a quote and it was; “It will pass,” and that is something that has stuck with me. It might be tough for a while but it will pass and everything will be good again.
FB: Any other advice?
NN: Eat your breakfast. I go to a lot of schools and it is funny, the kids you see falling asleep in class or don’t concentrate are usually the ones who have not had a good breakfast. I promote to them to eat a healthy breakfast, get some peanut butter, Bega of course, on their toast and don’t skip it. It is one of most important meals of the day, it starts your day.
FB: How is your injury rehabilitation progressing?
NN: I am moving on pretty well, am probably a little bit ahead of schedule. Having the experience prior to this from my last one I have been able to get the ball rolling a little bit quicker and do a few different things that I had not known I could do in the past. I was on crutches a lot longer last time and I wasn’t able to put any pressure or any weight through my legs for 12-16 weeks. This time I was back walking and started jogging pretty quickly.
It feels like I am on track. I am not going to really put a date on it (his return to playing) or rush it. I’ll have a better idea once I’m back into full training in a couple of weeks.
FB: The AFL season is about to kick off. What do you hope the season holds for you?
NN: Fingers crossed we (the Eagles) have a finish like we did in 2018 just with my face in there. For me really it is about getting back out there and getting back to what I love doing.