AFTER being drafted to West Coast with Nic Naitanui and playing alongside him for 13 years, captain Luke Shuey has seen the impact the superstar ruckman has on people time and again.

The most famous and recognisable person in Perth since his early years in the AFL, being a celebrity – and everything that comes with that – has become a way of life that Naitanui accepted a long time ago and remains grateful for.

Where other stars may be able to blend into a crowd at times, the 31-year-old's home and his club are the only sanctuaries away from the attention and love of fans.  

But as he approaches his 200th game, Naitanui has managed to stay true to himself and is defined by more than his career as an AFL footballer. 

"He can't hide anywhere and has been through so much, so to meet him for the first time takes people aback and leaves a fair impression because of how down to earth and normal he is," Shuey said this week.

"He has lived a life almost completely in the public eye and the second he steps outside there's not one person who doesn't know who he is.

"But as much as people recognise him as a footballer, he doesn't define himself as just someone who plays footy.

"He loves the impact he can have on others, and I think there's much more to Nic than just being a good footballer."

Shuey remembers the demands that fell on Naitanui as a young star at West Coast, quickly becoming the club's most marketable player with his trademark dreadlocks and thrilling athleticism. 

But it wasn't long until he was asking for more, quietly making regular trips up the road from the club's old Subiaco Oval base to Princess Margaret Hospital during his breaks to put smiles on kids' faces.

He embraced his popularity among fans and learned of the impact he could have, taking on a role as a multicultural ambassador with the AFL and with World Vision.  

All the while he was emerging as a rising star, learning from champion West Coast big man Dean Cox and earning All-Australian selection alongside his mentor in 2012.

Shuey has built the greatest on-field connection with Naitanui of any midfielder and still has to remind himself how blessed the club's onballers have been.

"Getting drafted together and spending 13 years together training and playing and everything else in between, we've just spent more hours working together than anybody else," he said.

"I'm very lucky to have done it and I don't think you need to put in a lot of work with Nic to get on the end of a few of his taps."

Naitanui is aware of his strengths and Shuey is happy to point out the less humble side of his good mate.  

"He'll tell you he does most of the work," the Norm Smith medallist joked. "He thinks his ruck taps are soft little snowflakes for us midfielders to just catch, so he's pretty happy with that. There's the humility coming out in him."

Naitanui's blend of staying humble but also having a natural self-confidence in the locker room is a trait his teammates love.   

His success hasn't stopped him being the butt of jokes and he's always been happy having a laugh at his own expense.

"Sometimes in footy clubs, the most popular players or the ones with the biggest profile are often untouchable. But Nic is the complete opposite," former teammate Xavier Ellis said.

"It shows how level-headed and modest he is. He took everything in his stride and was always up for a laugh, even if it was at his own expense."

Ellis believes Naitanui is the exact player the AFL would design if they were after "a superstar for the fans to love and be treated well by".

A 2020 report by global sport and entertainment insights company Gemba found Naitanui to be the fourth most marketable player in the AFL, behind superstars Dustin Martin and Nat Fyfe and since retired champion Gary Ablett.

Ellis is also convinced his former teammate loves the fame he has earned through his on-field exploits and off-field openness.

"There was a night we were heading out after Darren Glass's retirement and Nic didn't want to go out because he didn't feel like talking," the Hawthorn premiership player said.

"I reckon we were in the nightclub for 30 seconds and Nic was up on the decks DJing the night and revving the crowd up on the podium.

"You can't tell me a guy who doesn't like the limelight would do something like that!"

Naitanui's resilience is another trait that is loved and admired at West Coast, having experienced personal tragedy with the loss of his mother while growing up at a club he considers an extension of his family.

On-field, he suffered two serious knee injuries, in 2016 and 2018, undergoing reconstructions on both his left and right knees as a result and missing the club's most recent premiership.

Adam Simpson has coached both versions of Naitanui – the supremely athletic youngster who jumped all over opponents, and the craftsman he has turned into.

"He's a smart ruckman. That's where he's evolved," Simpson said. 

"He's got a lot more craft and he's one of the most intelligent ruckmen I've come across, and that is combined with the athleticism he still has.

"Obviously he's a great player, but we don't judge him off that. It's who he is as a person.

"To be such a big presence in the AFL landscape but still be yourself, I admire that."

Naitanui has not given up on his pursuit of a premiership and was emphatic this week that as long as he was at the club he would be pushing for that success.

The explosive ruckman has averaged 67.5 per cent game time this season due to his body, but he was not at a point where he was considering how to prolong his career.

The 2020 club champion and two-time All-Australian reflected on his arrival at the club and meeting his childhood heroes and 2006 premiership stars.    

He said developing the Eagles' young players was part of his football purpose for the remainder of his career, but he wasn't sure how long he would play on for.

"To give some of that back to them is a big goal of mine, but that ultimate success is something that still drives me as well," he said.

"It's always about how can I make myself better and make others better.

"My outside life has had what it's had but coming in to training every day has been something I am very thankful for.

"We've got the best job in the world and I'm forever grateful."