Eagles adjust to life in hub ... and anonymity

Eagles hope to make their mark during their stay in the hub on the Gold Coast.

West Coast veteran Shannon Hurn at the club’s interim Gold Coast base

As West Coast star Nic Naitanui was contemplating his new life in an AFL hub on Tuesday night, a scene outside the dining room of the Eagles’ Gold Coast resort caught his eye.

Tim Kelly, the midfielder who enjoyed two stellar years with Geelong before returning to Perth last October, was with his partner and three children by the Royal Pines pool.

The kids were splashing about happily but Naitanui pondered just how relaxing the time away would be for Kelly during the month the team spends in southeast Queensland.

“I am actually sitting in the dining room overlooking the pool … and Tim Kelly is in the pool at the moment with his wife and his three little ones and it looks tough. Man, I feel sorry for him,” Naitanui said.

“To be stuck in a hotel room … they are going to go crazy after three or four days. The guys with young families were hit the hardest (by the relocation) but good on them. Like we all know, there are a lot of people relying on us to get back and play, to get their work (going) as well.”

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The 30-year-old said the most difficult part of leaving Perth on Monday was watching some of his teammates farewelling their families with no certainty over when they would return.

“It is hard because we had to weigh up everyone’s situation and everyone is different,” he told The Phil Davis podcast.

“Some guys are single and couldn’t really care less if they have to go into a hub. For rookies or guys who have little businesses outside of footy, it almost didn’t make sense to come to the hub, because they could make almost as much by staying home.

“Guys having to leave their children behind, that was pretty sad, because we didn’t get an end date.

“We got told it could be four weeks, it could be eight weeks. We don’t know even now, so there is that.”

Arguably the biggest star in a football mad city, Naitanui has stepped into a degree of anonymity in the AFL expansion region as the Eagles prepare to play at least four matches in Queensland.

Champion forward Josh Kennedy could scarcely believe it on Tuesday when the ruckman was able to walk around a local Gold Coast supermarket without being recognised.

That may change soon if locals tune into matches. Former captain Shannon Hurn believes the shortened quarters in use this year will suit the superstar Eagles ruckman.

“His explosiveness (is still there) but he can do some more repeat efforts, and that is what he prides himself in,” Hurn said.

“I think he is in the best condition he has been in for a while. Unfortunately he had his injuries, but he has been able to get five months of training into him, so I think he is going to be in good stead.”

The Eagles and Dockers are adjusting to life in a resort West Coast coach Adam Simpson described as magnificent.

But the differences from normal life extend beyond being able to walk the streets without being gawked at. As Hurn said, it was unusual to bump into players from fierce rivals Fremantle in the morning at the local shops, let alone train on an oval next to the Gold Coast Suns later on Wednesday.

“It is almost like your junior days when you used to have the round robin carnivals,” Hurn said.

“You used to have all the different teams training and sharing facilities. I can’t see that being an issue.”

After arriving on Tuesday night, the Dockers spent their first full day on the resort familiarising themselves with their new home, according to coach Justin Longmuir.

“Every part of their life is different to some degree, so it is about readjusting to a routine that suits them,” Longmuir said.

“It does make it more difficult, no doubt, but it is a challenge and it is something we have worked hard at … is that we are here to win games of footy, we are here to compete.

“It is going to be a great environment for us to identify players who can deal with those distractions and play to a high level.”