WEST Coast star ruckman Nic Naitanui may be leaping even higher now that he's pain free in his Achilles, according to Eagles' coach Adam Simpson.
Naitanui is set to play in Sunday's Western Derby provided he gets through the Eagles' last couple of training sessions.
He has not played since round 12 after requiring surgery to remove the plantaris tendons in both legs. The tendons were getting inflamed and troubling his Achilles so much that he required crutches after games to help him walk and was unable to train.
Simpson said Naitanui is now in fantastic shape following the surgery and could be leaping higher having lost a little bit of weight.
"I think it might have increased a little bit," Simpson said of Naitanui’s leap.
"Losing a bit of weight and (being) pain free, you can imagine what he can do.
"He was in pain a lot throughout this season. He was playing really good football, and was probably 2-3kg heavier. Now that pain has gone, his calves are stronger and he's a bit lighter. I think you'll see him with the same leap.
"He almost put his foot through Coxy's (ruck coach Dean Cox's) nose at training last week, so it probably told us he's ready to go.
"In that sense, it's really exciting for him and the club. But to think he's going to walk straight back in and deliver the same results as the past is probably a little bit of a stretch."
The Eagles have won five of the six games Naitanui has missed but have done it the hard way, given what they have lost in midfield dominance.
According to Champion Data, the Eagles have dropped away in a number of areas without Naitanui over the past six weeks.
They have slumped from first to last in the AFL in hit-outs to advantage differential (+7.9 to -7.7). They have dropped from first to 17th in hit-out differential (+23.2 to -17.8). They have dropped from fifth to 18th in clearance differential (+1.9 to -6.2) and they have slumped from sixth to 15th in contested possession differential (+3.3 to -10.2).
However, Simpson said the Eagles can't simply rely on Naitanui to cure all of their issues.
"You want your good players playing, and he's a game-changer at his best," Simpson said
"There's no doubt we like him in our side, but to think he's going to be the saviour, I think it's a stretch. If we have to rely on one player, that probably shows you've got a bit of work to do."
Simpson said the Eagles' season was still well and truly alive despite the negativity surrounding their recent form.
