WEST Coast coach Adam Simpson is pleased star ruckman Nic Naitanui got through his first game back unscathed but says the Eagles need to manage him over the coming weeks given the big tests that are still to come.
Naitanui played his first game since round 12 on Sunday in the Eagles' 46-point won over Fremantle at Domain Stadium.
He had seven disposals, all contested, 26 hit-outs, three clearances and a goal in his first game back from surgery on both plataris tendons in his lower legs.
Simpson said the Eagles would need to progress his ruck loads over the coming weeks.
"I'm just pleased he got through," Simpson said.
"We've got to be really careful about (his loads).
"He's fragile sometimes. He's such an animal when he plays. We've got to manage his time the right way. I thought we did that OK today and there's not many bigger and stronger than Aaron (Sandilands) although (Shane) Mumford is probably up there."
Five talking points: Fremantle v West Coast
The Eagles face Greater Western Sydney off a six-day break next Saturday.
Naitanui played 61 per cent of game time against the Dockers on Sunday, the lowest percentage of game time in his 13 outings this year.
Simpson said he expected the connection between Naitanui and the Eagles' midfielders to sharpen up over the coming weeks after losing the clearances by eight to Fremantle.
WATCH: Seventh heaven for Eagles spearhead
"Probably the connection with our mids was something that was a tiny bit off today," Simpson said.
"I think we lost the clearances and we've been working pretty hard with Scotty Lycett over the last five or six weeks. So probably the connection, I can see that getting back to hopefully where it was, and his fitness."
Simpson was pleased he had a more even spread of contributors in Sunday's win after leaving too much to too few in recent weeks.
WATCH: Adam Simpson's full post-match press conference
"If we're going to go anywhere this year we need all of our players contributing and I thought we got closer to that today than we have in recent times," Simpson said.
"I know we've been winning. Last week we got exposed through lack of numbers and lack of work rate, the contest. Those areas we sort of ticked off tonight but we've got a really tough run coming up."
The Eagles sit in sixth spot on the AFL ladder, one game and percentage shy of the top four, with matches to come against the Giants, Hawthorn and Adelaide to finish the year. Simpson said the next three weeks would give the Eagles the truest indication of how far they can progress this season.
