Nic Naitanui leads Eagles to 98-point thrashing of Lions

HE is often dubbed the "Flying Fijian". But West Coast superstar Nic Naitanui was the "Silent Assassin" at Patersons Stadium.

HE is often dubbed the "Flying Fijian". But West Coast superstar Nic Naitanui was the "Silent Assassin" at Patersons Stadium.

Naitanui was at his spectacular best but stats did not do justice to the huge part he played in mauling the Lions.

He was head and shoulders above every player in the first quarter when the Eagles established a 34-point buffer.

Naitanui finished with 15 disposals, 13 contested possessions, five tackles, 36 hit-outs, three inside 50s, three goals, one scoring assist and any number of freakish efforts that showcased his unique athleticism and skills set.

And he did it all without speaking a single bit of trash talk to his opponents.

"He didn't say a word all day, I couldn't hear him once," Lions midfielder Dayne Zorko said.

Lions coach Michael Voss responded with, "If you do that, you don't need to say anything."

Brisbane ruck duo Ben Hudson and Daniel Merrett tried to contain Naitanui but were powerless to prevent his influence at the stoppages. Nobody could go with him in open play.

Voss said Naitanui led the tall-man domination that set the foundation for the dominant win.

"Their talls across the board were on top of ours in every facet," he said.

"They were just winning the aerial battles ... whether it was in the ruck or following up on his (Naitanui's) work."