West Coast superstar Nic Naitanui is daring doomsayers to write the Eagles off despite admitting their bulging medical room was unprecedented in his 13 years at the club.
Key defender Harry Edwards has joined All-Australian forward Liam Ryan in Covid-19 isolation, while West Coast continues to deal with vaccine-hesitant Jack Darling’s absence from the club.
Among the injured Eagles are Oscar Allen (foot), Dom Sheed (ankle syndesmosis), Luke Shuey (hamstring), Jamie Cripps (pectoral), Elliot Yeo (calf/Achilles), Tom Cole (ankle) and top-15 draftee Campbell Chesser (foot).
West Coast also lost star backman Brad Sheppard to a concussion-enforced retirement in December and suffered a 97-point caning to Fremantle in a practice match shocker last week.
“The current reality is that we do have a lot of injuries. It’s something that I know I’ve never seen throughout my career here at the club,” Naitanui said.
“I think the calibre of people that are out, too, (makes it tougher) but that’s the nature of football clubs. You have events that affect you throughout the year and we’ve had things like Covid and we’ve had to travel.
“Having injuries is just another part that happens with it as well. We’ve faced this before, maybe not to this extent, but the next soldier steps up.”
In another blow, WA Premier Mark McGowan announced on Monday that Optus Stadium would operate at 50 per cent capacity after AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan revealed Victorian venues would not be capped.
Naitanui is bracing for another Covid-impacted season but noted McLachlan’s comments that games would plough through the pandemic this time around.
“I think it will affect games for every team, but it’s one of those things we can’t control and there’s no point really wasting energy worrying about it,” he said.
“We’ve prepared as much as we can around what we can and can’t do with it, along with the rest of the state … who knows if that spikes or goes down over the coming months?”
The Eagles are likely to be one of the first clubs to dip into top-up players, with the AFL set to outline how the process will work inside the next week.
West Coxjmtzywast and Fremantle will draw from the best available talent in the WAFL, although there has been some resistance from state league clubs.
List hopeful and ex-Docker Hugh Dixon could help with the key forward shortage, and Naitanui was confident Bailey Williams would provide adequate ruck support for him.
He also echoed Sheed’s sentiments from last week about Darling’s situation.
“I think Dom probably summed that up really well last week in saying we’re there to support him as a mate, as a brother,” Naitanui said.
“But it’s tough. Having a few injuries and a few talls out at the moment, (Darling’s) the perfect fit to be there, but I respect Jack as a man and as a brother, and I’ll always be there for him if he needs someone to talk to.”
Adam Simpson’s side will have to call up its inexperienced crop earlier than it may have hoped, but Naitanui is confident they can keep the Eagles afloat.
“People are entitled to have their opinion and everyone has their bets and their tips and whatnot for what they think might eventuate throughout the season,” he said.
“It’s what makes football a beautiful thing. Write us off, if you please. But I know internally, we’re all excited, we’re all ready to go and we’re excited to prove some of those people wrong. “
