West Coast Eagles fans received an exciting glimpse into the future as club legend Nic Naitanui was spotted working with the team's new draftees during their first official AFL training session.
Eagles Secure Draft Night Triumph
The Eagles emerged as one of the big winners during this year's AFL draft, securing three highly-rated Victorian players in the first round. Willem Duursma became the club's prized number one pick, while dynamic ruck prospect Cooper Duff-Tytler joined at selection four.
West Coast continued their successful draft campaign by adding classy defender Josh Lindsay at pick 19, followed by Sam Allen at 29. The club completed their haul by matching a bid for Tylah Williams at pick 39.
Naitanui's Unexpected Coaching Role
Despite recently declining a formal part-time ruck coaching position, Nic Naitanui was actively involved in Monday's training session with the new recruits. The club legend, who maintains other roles within the organization, provided hands-on guidance to the next generation of Eagles players.
While West Coast hasn't made any official announcement about Naitanui's coaching capacity, young ruck Cooper Duff-Tytler revealed that coach Andrew McQualter has already promised him extensive work with the retired star.
"When 'Mini' (McQualter) told me I'd be working with Nic Nat I was pretty excited," Duff-Tytler confessed. "I'll be doing a heap of work with him over the pre-season. Watching him as a kid he was pretty amazing, one of those players you buy a ticket to a game just to see him play."
New Generation of Talent
The 18-year-old Duff-Tytler brings a unique skill set to West Coast, displaying remarkable ground-level ability and mobility unusual for a player of his size. His versatile playing style has drawn comparisons to Fremantle's Luke Jackson and St Kilda's Tom De Koning.
"Luke Jackson's versatility is amazing and if I can do some of that here at the Eagles that will be amazing," Duff-Tytler said. "I've got so much to grow and learn, becoming an Eagle is the perfect situation to learn off so many here."
The enthusiastic young player added that all the new recruits are "itching to get into full ground drills to show what we can do because that's really the reason we are here."
Meanwhile, number one draft pick Willem Duursma is taking his high selection in stride, focusing instead on earning the respect of his new teammates.
"It's pretty cruisy, just take it day by day," Duursma stated. "When you're at the club with the boys it's really just a number."
When questioned about potential Round 1 selection next year, the young utility admitted: "Definitely have thought about it, but I'll just try stay in the now and focus on this next three-week block. I'll think about Round 1 after Christmas."
The presence of Naitanui working closely with the new generation signals an exciting development for West Coast supporters, blending club heritage with fresh talent as the Eagles build toward the future.
