WEST Coast CEO Trevor Nisbett has apologised "unreservedly" for an incident at Perth Airport last Sunday when a club official jostled cameramen filming Nic Naitanui's arrival from Melbourne after his second serious knee injury in two years.

He said the club had "made a mess of the whole thing" and put integrity officer Peter Staples, the man who confronted the cameramen, "in a very ordinary position.

"All parts were extremely poorly handled by us," he told The West Australian.

"Peter is extremely apologetic, as is the club. We apologise unreservedly to those offended."

Nisbett also said coach Adam Simpson had "messed up" in his response to the incident.

Simpson told SEN this week the Eagles had asked for privacy for Naitanui but had not received it.

"Adam came and saw me after that interview and said he got it horribly wrong with some of the wording. He was aware that he had messed it up," Nisbett said.

Staples pushed and shoved two cameramen after Naitanui was spotted waiting to be picked up by a car at an airport loading dock after using a side entrance at the airport terminal to avoid media.

The West Australian said media had gone to the airport under a "gentlemen's agreement" that if did not approach Naitanui for an interview, they could get footage from a respectful distance as he came through the terminal.

"It was our fault completely. We were responsible for all of the things that happened. We didn't manage it well," Nisbett said.

He said Staples was trying to manage a "very traumatised young man" at the airport.

"That was Peter's only intention and he got it horribly wrong," Nisbett said. "He knows that. He is very embarrassed by the whole situation," Nisbett said. "We are extremely apologetic about the whole thing. We have said that to anyone who has wanted to ask, and we have said that to the AFL."