Nic Naitanui - Worthy of the hype?

[GVGjr]

Having a good look at the Essendon vs West Coast game tonight and I can get over how the commentators and fans get all excited whenever Naitanui goes near the ball.
His athletic prowess is sensational but I think he would have a long way to go to turn into another Adam Goodes.

How do you rate him? Is he the excitement machine as he is being built up as or is he more of a work in progress?

[AndrewP6]

A work in progress, but I can see him being incredible ( or more incredible) in a few years. On what we've seen, Melbourne should be kicking themselves for taking Watts over Nic Nat.

[The Coon Dog]

At present he's a work in progress, but that progression is moving quite rapidly.

On a big ground like Subi he'd be too athletic for most ruckmen, particularly Hudson & Minson! :eek:

Every time I see him he improves a bit more. Not going to be long before he really starts to take games apart, particularly if he can take strong marks overhead.

What he does well is scare the hell out of the opposition, he's like a giant manta ray hovering, you just know there is a shadow lurking. I think they call it referred pressure. He exerts it well.

[Remi Moses]

Staggered how Melbourne didn't take this guy with their first pick!! Watts might be a good footballer [Time will tell] but Nick Nat is an absolute freak

[Scorlibo]

He is an absolute freak at the clearances, but he is far less versatile than Goodes. He will probably never be a link up player, and thus will find it very hard to get himself into games in the future when he is being negated. Based on his age and what we've seen so far, he is worthy of the hype imo, but moving to the elite level of the competition will be harder than most think I would reckon.

[chef]

Not many 2ND year ruckmen have played this well.

[Mantis]

I am sick of watching replay after replay of his 'highlights' during telecasts.

One would think that he is the only ruckman going around who can palm the ball to one of his team-mates.

Still has a lot to learn, but his athletic abilities are certainly unique and if he continues on this development path he will become an elite player.... but still has a very long way to go.

[LostDoggy]

This guy has an amazing leap and is an absolute excitement machine to watch..he picks the ball up like no other ruckman and you just know something 'specialllll' is going to happen when he's near it.

[Go_Dogs]

I think he's certainly worthy of the hype.

His ruck work is good, he's able to scrap and win the contested ball and lay tackles after the tap, and is athletic enough to link up and run and carry the footy. His marking and footskills still have a lot of improvement in them, and as such, he could easily end up one of the most damaging players to have played the game.

Last night, he didn't get a huge amount of the ball, but I still would've had him as one of the most influential player on the park.

[Topdog]

He is worthy of the hype simple because he is an excitement machine and will get people through the gates.

He is still very much a 5 minute burst player.

[angelopetraglia]

Yes. Definitely.

A ruckmen, who gets his own ball and then has more than enough explosive pace to bust packs wide open. He has done some things that I have never seen a big bloke do before.

The scary stuff is he is still so raw and we all know how much longer big blokes take to come good.

One thing is certain at this early stage. Nic Nat > Jack Watts.

[azabob]

If he was at our club i'd imagine we all would be in raptures about him and would think he is worthy of the hype and then some.

[hujsh]

Staggered how Melbourne didn't take this guy with their first pick!! Watts might be a good footballer [Time will tell] but Nick Nat is an absolute freak

A lot easier 2 years down the track to speculate who should have gone number 1 but Melbourne don't get that luxury

[SPower]

A lot easier 2 years down the track to speculate who should have gone number 1 but Melbourne don't get that luxury

That's what recruiters and scouters get paid for.

Unfotunately out of our draft picks the only tall we can rave about is - B. "the manificent one" Lake.

Cheers

[mighty_west]

Still has a lot to learn, but his athletic abilities are certainly unique and if he continues on this development path he will become an elite player.... but still has a very long way to go.

Thats the scary part, how good he could get, so far he has been unbelievable, yet still looks quite raw in alot of ways.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Plenty of development left, including the ability to play up forward. He's improving all the time though and it's hard not to see him becoming an elite player of the competition. His skills by foot have got a lot better, he's reading the play better and starting to hold marks.

All this for a second year player, too.

In 3-4 years he's going to be a genuine match winner.

[GVGjr]

Plenty of development left, including the ability to play up forward. He's improving all the time though and it's hard not to see him becoming an elite player of the competition. His skills by foot have got a lot better, he's reading the play better and starting to hold marks.

All this for a second year player, too.

In 3-4 years he's going to be a genuine match winner.

Just as a side note. If you had to chose between him and say Matthew Kreuzer who would you select?

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Just as a side note. If you had to chose between him and say Matthew Kreuzer who would you select?

Naitanui by a fair margin, although I am probably not the best person to ask. I think Kreuzer's a good player, but I don't think he's the star the media makes him out to be.

Kreuzer is obviously ahead at this stage, but Naitanui isn't too far behind and should pass him within the next two seasons IMO. Then again, I honestly don't think there's too many players you'd rather over Nic at this early stage.

[The Adelaide Connection]

Staggered how Melbourne didn't take this guy with their first pick!! Watts might be a good footballer [Time will tell] but Nick Nat is an absolute freak

From all reports NN is a huge family man so taking him would be a sizeable gamble in that there was probably the worry that he would want to go home when his first contract expired. You might risk it with players at pick 60 but not sure you would with pick 1 when the other bloke you are looking at is a Melbournite and also has a fair bit of talent.

Time will tell if NN turns out to be a better player over his entire career than Watts, but the decision by Melbourne was a no-brainer IMO.

[Sedat]

Naitanui by a fair margin, although I am probably not the best person to ask. I think Kreuzer's a good player, but I don't think he's the star the media makes him out to be.
I will say that Kreuzer's worst is far better than Nicnat's. He isn't a human highlights reel but I think Kreuzer is a terrific young ruckman who offers plenty both at the stoppages and around the ground. He's basically a younger, more talented version of Hudson with his repeat efforts following the stoppage. I really like the way he plays and he will be more reliable week-in week-out than Naitanui.