DEAN Cox has described Nic Naitanui as phenomenal after the emerging superstar dominated Greater Western Sydney at Skoda Stadium on Saturday.
Fresh from lifting his team to victory with an after-the-siren goal against the Kangaroos last weekend, Naitanui took things up a gear with a best-on-ground performance against the Giants.
The 23-year-old finished with 31 hit-outs – most of them to advantage – as well as 13 possessions and two goals in West Coast's 100-point win.
Fellow Eagles big man and All Australian ruckman Cox said Naitanui was an amazing talent.
"Certainly Nic's ability to not only get his hands but to control it, to get hit-outs to advantage and then follow up is phenomenal," Cox said.
"You do some work against him at training and just his ability to get the ball at its highest point, to put his body in a position where he can allow himself to do that, is first class."
It was Naitanui's third match this year, having missed the opening five rounds due to a serious groin injury.
West Coast coach John Worsfold said the club was still being cautious with its young star.
"We will expect that his match fitness will build over the next three or four weeks," Worsfold said.
"At the moment we are certainly trying to manage his game time still.
"I'm not sure how many minutes he played today but it would be getting up to about what we want from him."
GWS coach Kevin Sheedy said Naitanui was a once-in-a-decade player in the mould of Carl Ditterich and Jim Stynes.
"Each decade or two has a freakish sort of player that changes the landscape of the game and that's exciting for our game," Sheedy said.
And in an ominous sign for rival clubs, Cox said Naitanui was only going to get better in the years ahead.
"Nic has the ability to build those freakish things that he does in games for sustained periods in games," Cox said.
"I think once he builds that fitness base, once he does a number of pre-seasons and still continues to learn, the ability for Nic to not only do that but ruck but around the ground and also forward is going to be great for the footy club."
Meanwhile, Worsfold said Bradd Dalziell had "pulled up pretty well" after a collision with teammate Josh Kennedy in the first quarter, with indications the on-baller has suffered a mild concussion.
The Eagles have nine days off before a round 10 Monday night clash at home against Richmond and Worsfold said the extra time between games would be used to work on things the squad has not had a chance to practice in recent weeks.
