Lions midfielder Rich was the runaway winner in 2009 while West Coast’s Naitanui is the hot favourite to be his successor in 2010.
So it is with some irony that the first nomination for this year’s award has gone to a player who has spent much of his career to date with the shadows of both Rich and Naitanui looming over him.
Chris Yarran’s round one nomination has come as a result of his 11-possession, three-goal performance in Carlton’s 56-point win over Richmond last Thursday.
Yarran was drafted by the Blues with pick six in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft, one pick before the Lions took fellow West Australian Rich.
It was a decision that did not go unnoticed by the harsh judge that is the football public - particularly when Rich starred for the Lions in his first year while Yarran could only manage six games.
However, the Blues forward said he never felt any pressure to live up to the stunning standard set by his former WA under-18 teammate.
"I didn’t have a great year last year but it was a good effort for Richy to come in and win it in his first year," Yarran said.
"He’s a great player and a good mate of mine as well. I wish him the best of luck and hopefully I can go on and win it this year."
Yarran grew up next door to Naitanui in Midvale in suburban Perth and considers him a close friend.
He says they still speak regularly despite now living on opposite sides of the country.
"I haven’t spoken to him since I heard I got the nomination but I send him a texty every now and again to see how he’s going," Yarran said.
"He went pretty well in the NAB series. Hopefully he can get a rising star [nomination] throughout the year. He’s favourite to win it so hopefully he can get one."
If history is anything to go by, Yarran is in a strong position to take out the main award at the end of the season as three of the winners (Rich in 2009, Sam Mitchell in 2003 and Paul Hasleby in 1999) have been round one nominations.
And Carlton's win over Richmond was a fair indication that Yarran looks set for an impressive year as he shares the small forward duties with Eddie Betts.
As similar players, Betts and Yarran could be excused for occasionally being in the same place at the same time but the 19-year-old says they have already developed an understanding.
"It’s pretty good. We do communicate a lot on the field. Around the stoppages we go one in, one out," he said.
"We don’t really get in each other's way. We get the ball to each other a lot and hopefully we can keep doing it."
Yarran and Betts have extra responsibilities as goal kickers after the off-season departure of Brendan Fevola but the younger of the two says the Blues should be able to make up for the Coleman Medallist’s absence.
"Eddie was one of our better goal kickers last year, he kicked 38 goals and has probably got the most amount of goals now that Fev is gone," he said.
"Hopefully he can give some of that experience to me and a few of the other guys and kick a few more."
