AFL: West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui to miss months with knee injury as Eagles try to build on first win

West Coast’s season from hell is suddenly even worse, with one of the Eagles’ most important players out for months.

West Coast will be without star ruckman Nic Naitanui until the second half of the season. Picture: Getty Images

West Coast’s horror run injury run has continued, with All-Australian ruckman Nic Naitanui out indefinitely with a serious knee setback.

Naitanui suffered a medial ligament injury after landing from a centre bounce late in the Eagles’ upset victory over Collingwood at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night, which was their first in 2022.

West Coast head of football Gavin Bell did not offer a timetable for the 31-year-old’s return but expected his absence to be multiple months.

“Nic was sore post-game and scans have revealed what our medical staff suspected after the game,” Bell said.

Nic Naitanui faces months on the sidelines with a knee injury. Picture: Getty Images

“He is obviously a very important player to us but we will take a conservative approach in managing his return, which will be in the second half of the season.

“There is no definitive timeline at this stage, as we will monitor and adjust his recovery as required.”

The Eagles are the only team that has had to dip into its top-up players as part of the AFL’s Covid contingency plan.

They played against the Magpies without Luke Shuey, Elliot Yeo, Tim Kelly, Dom Sheed, Andrew Gaff, Jamie Cripps and Oscar Allen, but coach Adam Simpson hoped to regain several of them this weekend.