Nic Nat keen to become ruck master

Updated September 08, 2012 15:34:58

He already boasts a 360-degree range in his ruck taps, but West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui is working overtime to make his hit-outs even more unpredictable for his AFL rivals.

Naitanui's leaping marks and cat-like work at ground level have dazzled fans around the country since his debut in 2009.

The 22-year-old's deft ruck taps have also become something to behold, with his unique ability to palm it anywhere over a 360-degree range forcing rival ruckmen to employ some dubious tactics in a bid to curb his dominance.

Physically monstering Naitanui or blocking his run at the contest have become the tactics of choice to halt the spring-heeled Fijian.

But rather than sook about the rough treatment, Naitanui is devising ways to counter the strategy.

In a bid to further confuse rival ruckmen and their ground-level midfielders, Naitanui is training his left hand to be just as good as his right in the tap contests.

Naitanui usually jumps off his left leg and taps with his right hand, but is fast becoming proficient in jumping off his right leg and tapping with his left hand.

And it's not just Naitanui who's trying to improve his opposite hand, but also premiership ruckman Dean Cox and emerging Eagle Scott Lycett.

"So it's not just hitting to that stock-standard spot that most right handers or most left handers would hit to," Naitanui said ahead of Sunday's elimination final against North Melbourne at Subiaco Oval.

"We use both hands and we'll change up our angles.

"We like to mix it up to catch the other mids off guard. It's just another element we want to add to our game.

"We spend a truckload of time on it, and our ruck coach Simon Eastaugh graphs it all up.

"After each game, Simon documents where we've tapped the ball and whether we won it or not.

"With Coxy, and Scott Lycett at times, we sit down and watch clips of ruck taps from the weekend, from us and other ruckmen as well.

"Then we'll come out in the middle and we'll just practise those taps that most people wouldn't think of, like the one over the back of your head from where you came from, and vary it up with both hands."

Kangaroos midfielder Jack Ziebell was confident the Roos' on-ball brigade would be able to deal with any trick taps Naitanui might dish out.

"We'll devise a plan and try to deal with it as best as we can," Ziebell said.

"It's a little bit unpredictable, but if we all play our role, it'll look after itself.

"We have great confidence in big Goldy (ruckman Todd Goldstein).

"We expect Goldy to give a great contest and win his fair share of ruck taps."

The Eagles recalled forward Quinten Lynch and welcomed back defender Eric Mackenzie for the do-or-die clash, while the Roos were bolstered by the return of Daniel Wells, Nathan Grima and Sam Wright from injury.

AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, perth-6000, wa, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted September 08, 2012 15:34:58

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How to Become a Real Sports Fan

Following various sports such as basketball, can be a fun experience because of the sport and the players in general. People become fans because they like a particular sport, they either like to watch or like to play. Professional sports allows people to see who they want to be, how the best compete at something they love and much more. However, watching sports and playing it does not make you a true sports fan. It takes a while to be a real sports fan. Some people are die fan hard fans while others follow from time to time.

Here are several things that a real sports fan must do:

1) Follow on a consistent basis: When you follow your favorite sport, team or player on a consistent basis, you learn more about the game and you show that you care about what happens day in and day out. If you do not, it isn't a matter of time because this can be done in a few minutes.

2) Talk and think: When you are a real sports fan, you have to talk about the sport occasionally to others who share the same interest or who do not at all. Talking about sports shows that you really care about what happens. When you think about what happens as a result of certain events, it also proves that you are a real fan. Real fans are talkative about their sport when they have to be and take time to think about the sport.

3) Play the sport: Believe it or not, if you are able and you do not play the sport, it shows that you have not really incorporated the sport into your life. By playing the sport, you can compare yourself to the best players in the world, which shows how much you want to be there as well. Following the sport is not good enough because it shows that you cannot do the same.

4) Does something extra: When you really like a sport, you will also try to incorporate something different into your life. Such things include hobbies such as video games that have sports related themes and sports cards. When you participate in these activities, you also form a better bond. If you collect cards of your players, you will buy more occasionally from newer products. You will also follow the sport in further detail because your knowledge on the sport is vital to how well you do in these other activities. In the end, it keeps you another reason to love the game.

5) Length: You can not become a real sports fan by simply saying that you are one. The only way to prove that you are a real sports fan is to follow the sport intensely for a while. This time period should be at least 5 years. In this time period, you should really know a lot about the sport.

6) Learn: When you are a real sports fan, you are always learning new things about what is happening, such as rumors, games and much more. You should learn about various players, legends and stats because it helps you understand the game a little more.

7) Never lose faith: As a person and a fan, you can never lose faith in your sport. If something bad happens, you have to learn to stick it out and to be happy for what has happened. Even you are mad at the event of something, you have to understand that the sport is something that should be loved no matter what.

Being a real sports fan takes a lot of dedication and discipline. If you really love your sport, you should be able to express it but still know that it isn't the most important thing in life.

Sports fan for 8 years now
By Jonathan T Chin