Date of birth: 4/5/90
Height: 200cm
Weight: 95kg
Club: Swan Districts/Midvale JFC
Bio: A high-leaping ruckman with outstanding pace, vertical leap and agility, Naitanui's tackling is also a feature of his game. A dual All-Australian at under-18 level in 2007/08. An AIS/AFL Academy graduate. From Midvale JFC.
Jason McCartney says: He is a freak athlete – I've not seen anything like it. He gets his hands on the footy and he's great at clearances because he can follow up really well. He has great speed and agility so his level of chasing and tackling is something I've not seen from a ruckman. But the majority of his possessions at the moment come in that area and not from marks, so he needs to develop that side. Once he can add that element of finding space behind the play or pushing forward and marking it, he's going to be a fair package.
Stats:
| NAB AFL Under 18 Championships | ||||||||
| Team | Mt | K | HB | D | M | HO | T | G |
| W.A. | 5 | 4.8 | 7.8 | 12.6 | 2.4 | 18.4 | 4.6 | 0.4 |
Draft Camp highlights:
* 1st running vertical jump 1.02m
* 1st standing vertical jump 78cm
* 4th 20m sprint 2.86sec
* = 4th repeat sprints (six x 30m sprints) 25.1sec
In his own words
What sort of player are you?
I see myself as a ruckman but I also like to move around the ground a bit. I like the backline, I like centre-half back, playing down there and reading the play. I’ve got to play down there a little bit with my WAFL club and I’ve also had a little run on the wing.
Strengths?
Probably my leap, and maybe my speed for a big bloke.
Weaknesses?
Probably my shots at goal from around 50 out, and my kicking overall. Also maybe my positioning to mark, that’s probably my major thing.
Which AFL team do you support?
I’m a Collingwood supporter, but I don’t really mind the Eagles and Fremantle either.
Which AFL player do you feel you most resemble?
I’m trying to mould myself on someone like a Dean Cox. I also like Adam Goodes as well. Big blokes that can ruck and run around.
