Naitanui doesn't appear to have the issues that are associated with Buddy and Brennan

such as? you've seen more of him than i. i'm assuming he's a great athlete with questionable/developing football skills hence my comparison to Brennan. i would never have thought that buddy had questionable ability to play the game, moreso attitude.

I don't understand why people are THAT excited about Naitanui...

Yes he's got that leap, but so does White... And who expects him to be a Franklin-like forward? The guy doesn't know how to kick properly yet, and a vertical leap doesn't mean squat when it comes to REAL football.

I'm backing Rich to have the better career, though I'll understand if we take Naitanui only because we need a Leuenberger/Kreuzer type early ruck pick...

I'm a WAFL fan & reckon rich is the better regarded but I listened to the first quarter of the Swan Districts-Perth game on the radio today & was really impressed with way NN seems to follow up his tap work, often getting a kick out of the centre, too.

Both these lads have 3/4 of a season to show what they can do, a real assessment can't be made until then, and there could be others in the mix by then (injuries, etc).

This could come down to the old chestnut, best available v fill a need. My problem is that best available as practiced at Melbourne means get the midfielder. We have a team of midfielder/flankers with a sprinkling of rucks (and I use that term loosley). I believe that 99 times out of a hundred the case could be made that at the time of drafting the smaller mid is better than taller KPP, who takes longer to develop. Potential needs to be factored into the equation somehow.

Hawthorn took a risk a few years back and drafted 2 early KPP's, Franklin and Roughead. If we get picks 1,17 and 18 I'd like to see at least 2 potential KPP's grabbed with those picks and maybe a quick outside mid with good skills. Bailey got the job for his development credentials, the area most lacking under ND. We've got a good group of kids but they are all 194cm and below or 199cm and above. We need a better mix of body types coming through together.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think Naita is relatively new to footy and from what I've heard is learning very quickly. Don't see any reason he couldn't be developed into a KPP. I was thinking CHB, not power forward. The article mentions his dangerous run and carry out of defence, has a big motor, big leap to spoil. Could be the weapon we need to take on the Franklins, Reiwolts and Pavliches of this world, while also creating and running off himself

Anyone who says ruckman do not win games should look at the game from last night...

Sandilands was BOG by a country mile! We need a dominant presence on the ground and NATA will be that!!

Couple of articles on Naitanui FYI:

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl...4-19742,00.html

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,2...5012734,00.html

Anyone who says ruckman do not win games should look at the game from last night...

Sandilands was BOG by a country mile! We need a dominant presence on the ground and NATA will be that!!

Hate to nit pick cause I get what your saying, but Freo lost dude...

Agree, if Naitanui truley has that super engine and toughness and can play in the ruck, imagine our onball unit with other tough nuts Jones, Mclean, Sylvia even Moloney at his feet.

if you didnt see Sandilands play last night, and doubt the influence a ruckman that can win a contested football and physically intimidate the opposition you've got rocks in your head.

He sounds like Byron picket but taller, faster can jump like no1 b4 him and with an incredible engine

Hes still growing and only just learning the game but still dominating... thats whats scarey!

there is a video of Natanui on the thread about him on Demonology.

Kid looks absolutely awesome, and I remember seeing him last year at the state championships. Jumped all over Kruezer and wil ultimately be way better than him.

Will make this whole season worthwile and will become a cult figure very quickly down at Demonland. Will hopefuly help us to get young supporters to get interested in the club.

Anyone who says ruckman do not win games should look at the game from last night...

Sandilands was BOG by a country mile! We need a dominant presence on the ground and NATA will be that!!

And they lost.

For the record, Sandlilands has been outstanding this year but Freo have kept losing.

WCE have Cox playing well but have only won one game.

Hmmm....... <_< . Why is that?

Unless Naitanui grows at least an inch (to get him to 198cm) he'll get killed by the better ruckman.

I think it's safe to assume the average height of ruckman in the WAFL is considering shorter than that in the AFL (not to mention quality).

If someone like Sandilands just bodies him he's giving away 15cm in height (not to mention arm reach) and has no hope at all of winning a hit out.

Might be mobile around the ground, but can he kick and handball?

Or is he the next Mark Bolton - 6'5", fit as anything. . . just can't play footy.

No doubting he'll go in the top 10 given the hype but could easily be a "bust" player rather than a "boom" player

Quality????? A 17 year old kid................... rucking against Robbie Warnock and Adam Campbell from West Perth, Zac Beeck from Peel, Adam Hay, Luke Newick from Subi, not to mention other swans rucks like Guy Richards from Collingwood and Llane Spannderman from Brisbane and West Coast. I would say that is a pretty big ask and is going alright.

Who would not want to see this at the MFC?

For those who say we don't need a ruckman, NN might not even be one.

What if he plays like Goodes - Utility and goes from end to end dominating games (until this year)

Or Richo of the last few weeks - Wing, again end to end using his athleticism.

Rich is, by all accounts, the safer choice. But NN looks like he is the epitome of the future of footy.

Fast, agile, athletic, etc.

And apparently he runs and carries the football...(so at least we will have 1 bloke who can execute the gameplan.

http://www.worldfootynews.com/article.php/20080410123933894

****....................Testament to his athleticism is that he could have represented Fiji in the Beijing Olympics, after qualifying for the high jump with a leap of 2 metres. *****

well apparently now 18..he's currently 198 cm !!

Certainly worth looking at for sure!!

Anyone who says ruckman do not win games should look at the game from last night...

Sandilands was BOG by a country mile! We need a dominant presence on the ground and NATA will be that!!

We have serviceable ruckman & young Snake Spencer doing his family proud ATM, 203cms & showing some really good ruckwork. He's got to keep up his workrate which is fairly good & keep on improving & working harder & harder developing his game & body.

He's worth being excited about regarding his POTENTIAL.

Agree, if Naitanui truley has that super engine and toughness and can play in the ruck, imagine our onball unit with other tough nuts Jones, Mclean, Sylvia even Moloney at his feet.

if you didnt see Sandilands play last night, and doubt the influence a ruckman that can win a contested football and physically intimidate the opposition you've got rocks in your head.

He sounds like Byron picket but taller, faster can jump like no1 b4 him and with an incredible engine

Hes still growing and only just learning the game but still dominating... thats whats scarey!

Our midfield has a BIG weakness. We lack a genuine classy inside/outside mid who will damage the opposition either through feeding off to outside runners or breaking through the opposition mids & going inside 50 or goaling himself with dynamic football. This I believe is Rich's forte', a little like a mixture of Kerr/Judd & Viney.

Liam Pickering said on thursday night that he killed kruezer in the ruck and does very well around the ground.

Here is a video worth looking at of the great man NAITA!

http://ten.com.au/ten/ten_video.html?chann...amp;bitrate=300

someone posted this on bigfooty...

someone posted this on bigfooty...

wow

wow

Yes, I'd like to order 1 Nicholas Naitanui please.

im so torn between tanking and winning games

OUTS THIS YEAR: White, McDonald, Neitz, Robbo, Wheatley, Whelan, Green, Bruce, Holland, Yze

edit: add Garland, Weetra, CJ, Jamar and Bode to that list, with the possible inclusion of Warnock.

This is gonna be a bloody hard decision, and i think alot of it will come down to the national championship performances.

On the one hand, we have an opportunity to pick up a star future ruckman. Jamie Charman is 198cm, with half the leap of Naitanui and is still able to be in the top few ruckman in the afl when fully fit. no reason why Naitanui can't be a dominant afl star at 198cm (considering he's still growing)!

It is also perfect timing for us, because our number 1 ruck for the last 10 years is about to retire. It's almost as though the stars have aligned perfectly. If the carlton recruiter would'v picked Naitanui over Kruiser, that should tell people something in itself.

On the other hand, Rich sounds like a genuine number 1 draft pick potential. He could finnally be that midfield superstar we'v craved for over the last 10 years.

Imagine a midfield in 2-3 years time:

Rich, Mclean, Jones, Grimes, Morton, Sylvia, Bartram and maybe even Buckley if he comes on. I'm sorry but that would truely be the most exciting up-n-coming midfield in the afl.

If Rich looks like being the next chris Judd surely we should go for him, because he would be the safer bet.

jeez this is hard.

Maybe we should just come 15th that way we won't have to make that hard decision and then we can bag Fremantle (who'll come 16th) for making the mistake of letting the other player slip to number 2! haha

yeah i agree with you silvinator...but take out rich from your list of midfielders and it is still a pretty good looking prospect considering we could have NN tapping down to them plus another young midfielder coming through the ranks at this years draft and maybe valenti.

in terms of getting bums on seats and having something trully exciting to watch...NN is the go for me

im so torn between tanking and winning games

OUTS THIS YEAR: White, McDonald, Neitz, Robbo, Wheatley, Whelan, Green, Bruce, Holland, Yze

Where's the dilemma?

With the creation of 2 new teams, and the draft concessions they are about to receive, it has NEVER been more important to get the best picks possible in the draft.

Glad I'm not in charge of recruiting though, because the choice for #1 is going to be a difficult one. Freakishly athletic ruckman or gun midfielder... it's like asking what you need more, a leg or an arm.