Nervous start for returning Naitanui

WEST Coast coach Adam Simpson is relieved after seeing Nic Naitanui make a successful return to football, but is yet to decide whether the star will play again this weekend.

Naitanui ended his 18month stint on the sidelines when he played 54 minutes for East Perth in their WAFL practice match against East Fremantle on Saturday. It was the ruckman’s first match since tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in round 22, 2016.

Naitanui tallied 14 disposals and 33 hit-outs on Saturday in a promising return to action. But he remains in doubt for the Eagles’ first-round clash with Sydney in Perth on March 25.

Naitanui could line up for East Perth on Saturday, but Simpson says he will wait until late in the week before deciding.

“We’ll just have to weigh up and see how he trains during the week and what levels he can get to,” Simpson said.

“He covered a fair bit of distance and played 50, 60 minutes. We’ll just have to see what we do to progress. But even if it’s not round one, it’s round two.”

Simpson was nervous watching Naitanui’s return.

“It was a little bit of relief,” Simpson said. “I think everyone was a bit anxious about this step he was about to confront. He would have been a bit nervous as well. He probably played like that a little bit.

“But I thought in the third quarter we saw some real glimpses of his good footy and what he does really well. That’s a positive for everyone.”

West Coast needs Naitanui to return, with Sunday’s 62point flogging from Fremantle showcasing their deficiencies in the midfield. Fremantle won the inside 50m count 61-33 on the back of their midfield dominance, leaving Simpson with plenty of headaches.

“That’s a concern. We’ve got some supply issues at the moment,” Simpson said. “It’s an ongoing issue.”