It could be the elimination final’s pivotal battle, and star West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui can't wait for the challenge taking on Collingwood counterpart Brodie Grundy this Saturday night.

After a stellar 2020 campaign when he has been the League’s most dominant big man at centre bounces, Naitanui was last week named as the All Australian team’s lead ruck = taking the mantle from Grundy.

The influential big men go about their craft differently, with Naitanui’s imposing presence around the contest making his teammates walk taller while Grundy racks up possessions like an extra onballer.

But both are exceptional at giving their midfielders first use and will hold keys to their side’s fortunes in the sudden death bout at Optus Stadium.

“Brodie is a great ruckman, someone I respect pretty highly,” Naitanui said on Monday.

“I respect all my opponents – but him and (Max) Gawn have probably led the way for the last few years and they’re both respectively All Australian ruckmen as well.

“Collingwood’s form has been up and down throughout the year but everyone’s form has been like that as well.

“For him, I’m going to respect him as much as I do any other player but these guys know how to play finals, they’ve been there before and we’ve had some pretty good match-ups over the years.

“I’m really looking forward to that challenge.”

Like many of his senior teammates, Naitanui has embraced the pre-finals bye as a chance to refresh following a hectic finish to the regular season.

The 30-year-old played 80 and 78 per cent of game time – his two highest totals for the year - in the last two rounds as West Coast clinched a finals spot and then unsuccessfully chased a top four finish.

“I wouldn’t imagine I would play too much more game time, it would probably be only when it’s called upon if the game is real close,” Naitanui said.

“We don’t have that double chance this year and every game is knockout if we lose.

“I think all the minutes and all the management stuff goes out the window when it’s time to win the game.”

The Eagles were 66-point winners last time the teams met, but the Pies will be a far more dangerous proposition this time around with brilliant skipper Scott Pendelbury and match-winning forward Jordan De Goey back in the line-up.

“We’ll take bits and pieces from that game and some of the learnings from that game, but we won’t be going out and thinking it’s going to be that easy,” Naitanui said.

“It’s a final, they know how to play big game footy and they’ll be coming out wanting to win as well.

“For them, their season is done if they lose and for us we’re in the same boat. It’s going to be a pretty tough contest.”

While the Eagles’ path to a third Grand Final under Adam Simpson was made tougher by their fifth-placed finish, the club will take a nearly fully-fit list into finals as well as the belief their best is good enough.

Having missed out on the 2018 premiership due to his second knee reconstruction, Naitanui’s eyes remain firmly on team success.

“It’s an honour to be back in there (the All Australian team), but there is something else that I want a little bit more than that and there’s a couple of other guys in the same boat,” he said.

“Some of our better performers and some of those guys who are real hungry are those guys who missed out.

“Brad Sheppard has had a good year, Andrew Gaff has had a solid year. The three of us sat down and watched on in 2018.

“We want to get back there but there’s a big hurdle in the way first and that’s Collingwood this weekend.”