NAITANUI HAS A DERBY DAY OUT

NIC Naitanui has put on a rucking masterclass to help guide West Coast to a 91-point western derby win over Fremantle at Optus Stadium.

The Eagles booted 12 consecutive goals after quartertime on Saturday night to set up the 19.8 (122) to 2.19 (31) win in the 50th derby.

Third-gamer Jarrod Cameron booted four goals during the scoring run, while crowd enemy Andrew Gaff tallied 34 disposals for the match — and was loudly booed for each touch.

But West Coast’s dominance could be traced back to Naitanui, whose deft ruck taps and bullocking attacks on the ball proved crucial.

The Eagles scored eight goals to nil during a secondquarter demolition, four of them coming from centresquare clearances.

Naitanui, playing just his second AFL match since recovering from a second knee reconstruction, was just as lethal at ground level as he was in the air.

The 29-year-old produced a sublime one-handed pick-up in the wet before firing off a handball while being tackled by two players to set up a goal for Cameron in the second term.

And Naitanui twice dived on the turf to keep the ball moving forward to help set up Cameron’s fourth in the third term. Naitanui finished with 23 hit-outs, 14 disposals, three score assists and six clearances — but the stats didn’t quite do him justice.

Cameron, Jack Darling and Jamie Cripps booted four goals apiece. Eagles defender Brad Sheppard (25 disposals, seven marks, 11 rebound 50s) won the Glendinning-Allan medal as best afield.

Amazingly, Fremantle won the inside-50m count 60-50.

“We’ve missed Nic,” Eagles coach Adam Simpson said of Naitanui.

“We’re a better team with him in it. Fifty per cent capacity — that’s why Tom Hickey was so important. It allowed Nic to play the game out and be damaging when he’s on.”

Fremantle coach Ross Lyon described the loss as bitterly disappointing.

“We all expected better,” Lyon said.

“As much as you don’t want to be defined by the scoreboard, you’ve got to fight hard mentally when it’s getting away that much to stay at your best. They’re only human.”

West Coast was dealt a blow before the match when star forward Josh Kennedy was ruled out with illness.

Fremantle skipper Nat Fyfe suffered a scare when he came off in the second term nursing a right shoulder injury, but he was able to return.