He’s 200cm tall, thick dreadlocks bounce off his shoulders with every athletic motion and as such he is one of the most identifiable players in the AFL.
Nic Naitanui’s detractors argue that he doesn’t take enough marks. They should focus on the things he does because sometimes marking the ball isn’t so important for a big bloke because there is not another ruckman in the competition who can do what Naitanui can do on the ground.
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Oh, and by the way, he’s pretty handy at the fundamental skill of a ruckman, palming the ball to the advantage of those around his feet.
On Friday night, Naitanui was again close to best afield. And he didn’t take a solitary mark.
What he did do, though, was establish the team’s superiority and the Eagles enjoyed a 17-4 advantage in hit outs to advantage.
When West Coast got away to a flier in the first term, it was Naitanui who set them on their way, soaring over the top of his Richmond rivals and deftly steering the ball into the arms of his teammates.
He was again a dominant factor when the Eagles surged in the third term to create a match-winning break.
Naitanui is a unique talent and the spillage and pressure he creates around the ball so often denies the opposition the chance to take it away.
Naitanui had 12 possessions, 10 of them contested and kicked two goals - both of them in the opening quarter onslaught.
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He was also involved in 14 pressure acts, second only to Brownlow medallist Matt Priddis, who sets the bar for the competition in that area.
West Coast enjoyed a raw hit-out advantage of 46-27, with Naitanui winning 34 of those as the most influential ruckman in the game.
