West Coast's star ruckman Nic Naitanui has suffered a cruel blow — just 15 matches into his comeback from a 19-month recovery period, the 28-year-old has ruptured the ACL in his right knee.
Scans on Monday revealed Naitanui's injury was in his other "good" knee. The rupture occurred during the second quarter of the Eagles' 35-point win over Collingwood at the MCG. The long-term injury could impact on the Eagles' premiership chances, but Scott Lyccett managed to fulfill Naitanui's role during the second half against Collingwood. Nathan Vardy may also come in as a second ruckman to assist in the absense of the 201cm tall. Eagles coach Adam Simpson spoke on Channel Seven, confirming that Naitanui needs a knee reconstruction. "Unofrtunately, he does. Really disappointing for Nic and the club," Simpson said. "We can't dwell on it for too long. We've got a game coming up pretty quickly and Nic knows that, he's been through it. "My heart goes out to him." Simpson spoke about Naitanui's long recovery ahead, but stated that the club had to get on with the season without him. "Personally, it's a long road back. He spent a good 16 or 17 months getting back to fitness. "He did make a difference for us for this part of the year, but he'll go through the same process and he'll be back better than ever. "In the meantime, we need to get on with the season." Naitanui posted a video on Instagram stating that his "heart hurts" and that he wished his mother could be with him to help him get through his recovery. "Times like this I wish I had your shoulder to cry on all day or a massive hug to say it'll all be ok," the post read. "Time to suck it up n soldier on. "My heart hurts right now but if you know me there's some poor soul confronting tougher trials and tribulations in the world. "God gives His hardest battles, to His strongest soldiers #watchmeprevail" Naitanui will spend the next year on the sidelines, but he is expected to return stronger than ever.
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