JUST LOCK HIM IN AND THROW AWAY THE KEY!
Nic Naitanui says he's determined to silence his critics, with the West Coast ruckman declaring he's ready to "prove a point" next season.
The Eagles big man is in the midst of his first full pre-season for three years and Naitanui said he's primed to make a bigger impact in 2015.
"Yeah, I am. I can't wait. We’ve done a fair bit of running this summer and I've never looked forward to round one more than this year," he said.
"Obviously last year (I was) a bit hampered and (wasn’t) able to perform as well as I wanted to. This year I've got a bit of a point to prove."
Naitanui has battled groin issues that surfaced after his All Australian campaign in 2012 and he's failed to perform to his own expectations on a consistent basis since.
But he's feeling fit in January for the first time in years and is reaping the benefits of the Eagles' gruelling pre-season in the Perth heat.
"It's unusual, I think in previous years I've only clocked up maybe 20 or 30 hours of actual track time in the pre-season," Naitanui said.
"So I've surpassed that by a couple of hundred hours so far. It's a different feeling – it's a great feeling – and I'm looking forward to the year ahead.
"Normally I've come back for one NAB Cup game and gone straight into playing footy, which probably has hurt me a bit.
"But this year, coming in having run since the AFL Grand Final last year, and having that consistency is probably going to put me in good stead come round one."
Naitanui showed glimpses of his best in 20 games last season, but the former No.2 NAB AFL Draft pick struggled to have a consistent impact away from ruck contests.
He won almost 22 hit-outs per game but he's hoping to improve on the 12 disposals and 1.5 marks he averaged as the Eagles missed the finals for the second-straight season.
Retired West Coast champion Dean Cox remains at the club as ruck coach and Naitanui said he will try to emulate the six-time All Australian, whose elite endurance and skills allowed him to play like a midfielder.
"Yeah, a bit of that. I'll still play to my strengths and what I bring to the team," Naitanui said at Etihad Stadium after the AFL announced its Multicultural Program will expand in 2015.
"Evolving to what Dean has done and what he's shown over his career is something that I look to emulate and try and mimic out on the field.
"Having 'Coxy' there at training, doing my vision – stuff that he's done in the past – but having that more week-in, week-out will obviously help that as well.
"It's awesome having him there as a coach (and) mentor. Myself, Scotty Lycett and Cal Sinclair are in a pretty privileged position."
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-01-22/nic-nats-point-to-prove
