Just how good will Nic Naitanui become?

[rpfc 28,042]

I wonder how he would go in our team?

Would people have the same perception they have of him?

Or would we be lamenting the pick of a freak that does some amazing things twice a game but makes just as many mistakes in his 10 touches?

While a genuine footy player is playing alongside established stars of the game in Perth and being made to look far better than his current development.

In the end, they are all just hypotheticals and I will wait till both are 23 to judge that pick.

[Jaded No More 67,600]

The greatest player ever. LOL!

Not even the greatest player of his draft year.

FFS, if NicNat was in a Melbourne jumper he'd get abused for his poor skills. And he wouldn't get a touch.

Yet when Watts has a great game he needs to "find consistency and is too soft".

The disparity between the two in terms of level headed evaluation is a joke.

Friggin MFCSS!

[diesel 420]

If you thought "$cully to GWS" was a feisty rumpus, imagine the uproar caused by the "Nikanui back to Perth" saga.

I've found in the past that it is pointless to argue these types of points with some. How do we measure Natanui's performance based on his environment? Do we mark down JW's perfomance based on terrible player development?

Too many unknowns to make these calls and what-if's but I gaurantee NiK Nat would have had a huge GC & GWS target on hs back and the AFL would have been wrapt (far more so than $cully to see him in a GWS jumper).

[Sir Why You Little 36,585]

The greatest player ever. LOL!

Not even the greatest player of his draft year.

FFS, if NicNat was in a Melbourne jumper he'd get abused for his poor skills. And he wouldn't get a touch.

Yet when Watts has a great game he needs to "find consistency and is too soft".

The disparity between the two in terms of level headed evaluation is a joke.

Friggin MFCSS!

Who mentioned Jack Watts??

I was talking about last nights game.

Lie down Jaded.

[hardtack 10,398]

I think we're about to see a Jack Watts thread.

Sadly, you were right.

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

his effort last night was described as 'enormous'.. at the time of that comment it was the last qtr and he'd had 6 kicks. Bad ones too. I laughed at another point he knocked th ball into space to the advantage of nobody, it was described as 'clever'. I wondered what the comment would have been had JW done the exact same thing, probably accuse him of being soft

[deesrule 104]

He's a great talent and if we had drafted him we would still have Scully but not Watts .

He would have fitted perfectly into GWS

[Moonshadow 17,466]

If you thought "$cully to GWS" was a feisty rumpus, imagine the uproar caused by the "Nikanui back to Perth" saga.

Just what I was thinking TT. It's all hypothetical, but given our poor seasons, I think he would've gone close to leaving. The wealthy clubs always seem to 'find' space in their salary cap for big name players.

[daisycutter 29,291]

Are you calling me a sheep for enjoying natural talent??

you know what they say wyl, "if the fleece fits....."

[Sir Why You Little 36,585]

you know what they say wyl, "if the fleece fits....."

Elaborate my good man...

[Tony Tea 2,800]

F**ked or fiction? Greg Denham: "Nikanui would be worth another 10,000 members to Melbourne."

[hardtack 10,398]

F**ked or fiction? Greg Denham: "Nikanui would be worth another 10,000 members to Melbourne."

Maybe not 10,000, but definitely worth quite a few... but then again, so would Jurrah if we could keep him on the field, fit and firing.

[Sir Why You Little 36,585]

F**ked or fiction? Greg Denham: "Nikanui would be worth another 10,000 members to Melbourne."

Yeah. Just heard that....

[satyricon 267]

Yeah. Just heard that....

Sheep means a journalist/commentator said it so it must be right......maybe you should change your allegiance and start following the Weagles then.....obviously that's what everybody in the media says.....NikNat is different, yes he has great athletic ability and is fun to watch...but he has played one good game of four quarter football.....and did not carry the full burden as the sole ruckman.....let's wait and see before we put the hyperbole into overdrive........

Here is a great example....Daniel Rich....we didn't draft him either and there were howls of protest on this board..commentators/media were saying we got it wrong.......how's he going this year...haven't heard one peep of comparison with Watts....strange?....you never know he may have a really good game in the next couple of weeks and that can start again as well

Edited June 14, 2012 by satyricon

[Range Rover 1,935]

F**ked or fiction? Greg Denham: "Nikanui would be worth another 10,000 members to Melbourne."

Denham annoys the crap out of me but he's not far off the mark there.

Posters calling Naitanui a flash-in-the-pan are kidding themselves.

What odds can you get for him to win the Norm Smith this year?

Edited June 15, 2012 by Range Rover

[Sir Why You Little 36,585]

Sheep means a journalist/commentator said it so it must be right......maybe you should change your allegiance and start following the Weagles then.....obviously that's what everybody in the media says.....NikNat is different, yes he has great athletic ability and is fun to watch...but he has played one good game of four quarter football.....and did not carry the full burden as the sole ruckman.....let's wait and see before we put the hyperbole into overdrive........

Here is a great example....Daniel Rich....we didn't draft him either and there were howls of protest on this board..commentators/media were saying we got it wrong.......how's he going this year...haven't heard one peep of comparison with Watts....strange?....you never know he may have a really good game in the next couple of weeks and that can start again as well

Excuse me??

I am a Jack Watts fan. Glad we have him.

But i also love watching NikNat is that ok

What Denham said is a relevant discussion for a radio station. Pity there were no calls.

[Forest Demon 4,681]

I really like Naitanui, love the excitement and interest he generates. The esteem some commentators already hold him in is over the top for what he has achieved so far, but he will go on to be a very good player. Even without 20+ touches he is still a very good tap ruckman, if you compare to say a Jamar who in his AA year only averaged 12 touches and was still regarded as having a great year because of his work in the centre square.

Not interested in comparing to Watts and talking about who we should of taken, because as I have said a million times, we need to stop worrying about players we didn't draft and just start worrying about developing the players we have drafted.

[Robbie57 2,001]

The greatest player ever. LOL!

Not even the greatest player of his draft year.

FFS, if NicNat was in a Melbourne jumper he'd get abused for his poor skills. And he wouldn't get a touch.

Yet when Watts has a great game he needs to "find consistency and is too soft".

The disparity between the two in terms of level headed evaluation is a joke.

Friggin MFCSS!

Jaded is on the money today.

Seriously most of the time he runs around look more lost than robinson crusoe.

[satyricon 267]

Denham annoys the crap out of me but he's not far off the mark there.

Posters calling Naitanui a flash-in-the-pan are kidding themselves.

What odds can you get for him to win the Norm Smith this year?

I take it you are making a big call and saying the Weagles will be in the GF this year, he would not get within a mile of the Norm Smith if Cox was not playing.....

He is not a flash in the pan, he is also not a superstar....he is someone with great athletic ability, who will improve but at the moment, he just makes Bruce McAdventure get a tingling in his nether regions...

.he needs to string another couple of those games together....and have a run without Cox..

.last time that happened...he got smashed in the ruck and was stuffed so he did not get around the ground

[TheoX 1,218]

If anything his form demonstrates our stupidity in allowing Carlton to lose the Kreuzer Cup game. Had we lost we would have had picks 1 & 2 the following year enabling us to take both Watts and Naitanui.

Not to mention we would've had pick 2 (Cotchin) instead of pick 4 (Morton)

[Striker475 696]

He was very very good last night. The problem is the media blow up every single thing he does like it's the greatest thing ever done by a footballer. Dwayne Russell virtually orgasms every time he takes a mark.

[Range Rover 1,935]

I take it you are making a big call and saying the Weagles will be in the GF this year, he would not get within a mile of the Norm Smith if Cox was not playing.....

He is not a flash in the pan, he is also not a superstar....he is someone with great athletic ability, who will improve but at the moment, he just makes Bruce McAdventure get a tingling in his nether regions...

.he needs to string another couple of those games together....and have a run without Cox..

.last time that happened...he got smashed in the ruck and was stuffed so he did not get around the ground

I'm tipping the Eagles will be there for the Big Dance this year.

That being the case, I'm not a betting person but I'd be very tempted to throw $50 on him.

Worsfold is a brilliant coach I have to say. Managing his development perfectly, first as a foil for Cox and now stepping Nic Nat's output up as they gear up for finals.

[jumbo returns 6,703]

I'm pretty sure that he was never going to come over?

The guy's a beast.

Never mind....

[old55 22,753]

It would be great if Naitanui played for us, he's a marketing dream and he can play. I think Buddy has been really great for Hawthorn in this way. As someone posted - hopefuly Liam can get back on the park and firing and we can have our own excitement machine back. It's not just their playing impact it's their impact on supporters and potential younger supporters.

[Disco Demons 92]

did anyone see the reaction on john worsfold face after Naitanui missed the goal...he was actually p!ssed off...i thought to myself that would have been goal of the year...if not in the best of all time.