West Coast Eagles ruckman Nic Naitanui will be out of action for a period of time after damaging a medial ligament in the late stages of Saturday’s gripping victory against Collingwood at Marvel Stadium.
Naitanui hurt his knee after landing at a centre bounce deep into the last quarter as the Eagles finished strongly to win by 13 points.
He had scans yesterday and will spend several weeks with his knee in a brace. He will then go through the rehabilitation process and will return to play in the second half of the season.
Football Manager Gavin Bell said Naitanui was obviously disappointed but will work through his recovery with the aim of returning as soon as possible.
“Nic was sore post game and scans have revealed what our medical staff suspected after the game,” Bell said. “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 time line at this stage as we will monitor and adjust his recovery as required.”
Naitanui, who has won the Club Champion Award in the last two seasons, had an engrossing battle with long-time rival Brodie Grundy in Saturday’s absorbing match.
