West Coast Eagles recruit Cooper Duff-Tytler’s eerie similarities with Nic Naitanui

They’re the two most athletic ruckmen West Coast have ever had.

And just like his ruck mentor, Eagles legend Nic Naitanui, Cooper Duff-Tytler has burst onto the scene and endeared himself to home fans in a barnstorming home victory.

Coach Andrew McQualter can see the similarities between the two players and West Coast fans are praying the athletic ruck-forward they drafted with pick No.4 out of Victoria can kick on like club great Naitanui.

Duff-Tytler’s two epic goals to help lead a victory over North Melbourne last weekend were strikingly similar to Nic Nat’s breakout performance against Hawthorn back in 2009.

Both had made their debuts on the road before delighting home fans.

Naitanui captured the attention of the AFL world nearly 17 years ago when he stunned with an incredible three-goal outing against Hawthorn on a wet night at Subiaco Oval.

It wasn’t the fact that the then-19-year-old booted multiple majors, but it was the way in which they came about that had the 31,441 fans in attendance left awestruck.

The lanky Fijian kicked his first after smothering a Jordan Lewis kick out of the goal-square before selling candy and getting past the midfielder and snapping truly on his opposite boot to give the Eagles the lead midway through the last quarter.

Naitanui then extended the lead with a soccer out of the goal-square minutes later before he sealed the win in style.

The Swan Districts produced used his incredible reach to block a handball from Hawk Tom Murphy before bursting away from the defender and snapping his third to the delight of the crowd.

It was a game which shot Naitanui into stardom, with the ruckman finishing as a three-time All-Australian, two-time club champion and one of the most iconic Eagles when he retired in 2023 after 213 games.

McQualter said the Duff-Tytler and ruck mentor Naitanui shared athletic qualities that made them similar players.

“They’re both 200cm but incredibly athletic, and we love that Coops got this really strong aerial game,” he said.

“That first goal was pretty special, the ground-level follow-up, and he had some moments.

“He’s not going to have it all on his own terms, we understand that. He’s a first-year key position player; it’s going to be difficult for him at times, teams are going to try to take things away from him, but I just love how much of a competitor he is. Even on the weekend, they tried to be aggressive with him, but he just kept going about his job.”

Duff-Tytler produced a similar display, kicking his first goal for the Eagles after he turned North Melbourne defender Toby Pink inside out, snapping truly from 20m in the left forward pocket.

The 18-year-old then outmarked Kangaroos backman Charlie Comben in the goalsquare during the third term before converting the set shot as the Eagles set up the win with an eight-goal term.

Duff-Tytler’s performance sent tongues wagging and has football lovers across the country — but particularly Eagles fans — excited for what he can become.