Hams, 23, was rewarded for an excellent stretch of WAFL form, debuting in West Coast’s comfortable 23-point win over the Bombers at Subiaco Oval.
He said he would like to have improved on his own 10-possession performance playing as a defensive small forward, but Naitanui’s game left the mature-age recruit bright eyed.
“Big Nic-Nat’s amazing isn’t he? It’s good to watch,” Hams said.
“He worked hard and got the reward. He does it all. He’s amazing.”
Naitanui was pivotal in West Coast’s first-half surge, with 11 hit-outs, four inside 50s and a goal. Twice, at the start of the first quarter and again in the third, he roved his own hit-out to set up goals to Mark LeCras.
Hams said he was nervous before his first match, but winning was “an amazing feeling” as the Eagles grabbed their first premiership points of the season.
The hard-bodied recruit was brought into the side to crumb and apply forward pressure and it was his desperate tackle late in the first quarter that set up the second of LeCras’ four goals.
“I found it tough at first and I wouldn’t have minded getting a few more stats, but we had a win and that’s the main thing,” he said.
“[The win] was really important, we’ve got a few tough games coming up and we don’t like losing at home. So it was a big win for us.
“It’d be good to hold my spot and get used to it game by game.”
Hams said the side felt Daniel Kerr’s loss, with the key midfielder leaving the ground late in the second term with what appeared to be a medium-grade hamstring injury.
However, the Eagles were comfortable leaders at that point, and they kicked away to a 52-point lead shortly after on the back of some improved ball-use.
“[The skills] definitely picked up a notch, particularly inside-50,” Hams said.
“It’s a big thing we’ve been working on and it’s come out tonight and worked out well.
“We knew we were playing decent footy, we just had to work a little bit harder and get over the line, which we did tonight.”
