Hope might finally be building at the spluttering West Coast Eagles with injured ruckman Nic Naitanui revealing his rehab from a knee reconstruction is going "really well.
Naitanui underwent knee surgery after round 22 of the 2016 season and it's been a long road back for the high-flying 27-year-old but he's 75 per cent through his recovery and seems confident he can play a part for the club in 2017.
"I've been progressing pretty steadily," Naitanui told the Seven Network.
"I guess if I came to a point where nothing was progressing or getting better I'd probably think maybe I should rest up and concentrate on next year, but it's going along really well.
"Everyone I walk past asks me the question (if he will play in 2017). I still firmly believe I want to play at some stage this year.
"We'll sit down and go over some scans. We'll see how the knee and stuff around that is going.
"That will determine where I go from there."
Naitanui says he is moving as quickly as he has in the past and is currently doing some contested work and now needs to get through contested jumping, then landing after contact.
"I'm sprinting as quick as I had in the past before I hurt my knee," he said.
With their ruck stocks decimated this season West Coast could also receive a welcome boost with Scott Lycett set to return from a shoulder injury, possibly as soon as round 13 against Geelong.
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