Respected Western Australian broadcaster Peter Vlahos believes Nic Naitanui has played his last game of AFL.
Naitanui, 33, hasn’t featured this year dealing with ongoing Achilles soreness, an injury that has continually had its timeframe pushed out.
On Tuesday, West Coast stated Naitanui would see a specialist before making a decision on the next steps “about the management of his Achilles”.
There was no mention of his return to play. In late April the club hoped to have Naitanui back shortly after the bye, but his return was last week listed as 6-7 weeks away.
But Vlahos suggested the three-time All-Australian appeared content with the fact he might not play again.
“I don’t think Nic Naitanui will play again, I’ll say that,” he told SEN WA’s The Run Home.
“I saw him just before the game on the weekend, he was there with his young boy and partner and he just looked so content for me.
“I said, ‘how you going Nic’? He said he’s going okay, but it radiated to me that he’s not in a rush to get back and I think he’s almost resigned to the fact that football now is very unlikely for him.”
Naitanui missed most of last year with two knee injuries and underwent minor surgery at the end of the season.
However, he is signed until the next year and is a two-time best and fairest.
As the Eagles continue to deal with a mountain of injuries, Vlahos suggested Bailey Williams – who hasn’t missed a game this year – looks the likely answer in the ruck.
“(West Coast should say) let’s put our energy into Bailey Williams, let’s look to the draft and see what we can develop to support him, let’s put Nic Naitanui and his potential return to the side, because it may not happen now,” he added.
Naitanui has played 213 games for the club he was drfated by back in 2008 and hasn't hinted at retirement this year.