- Nic Naitanui has reported how Ben Cousins' jumper inherited
- He remembered how Cousins had also delivered a brilliant sled to the Águilas ruck
The great Nic Nanitanui on the west coast has opened about the history of how he inherited the legend of the Legend of the Eagles Ben Cousin.
The former Ruckman, who retired in 2023, also revealed that Cousins had hit him with a shiny sled, who had also “overwhelmed” when the couple met in the football field.
Cousins is widely considered one of the best players who have ever starred in the West Coast, starting 205 goals in 238 games for the club, especially helping WA team to win the grand finale of 2006.
Brownlow 2005 medalist was eliminated by the Eagles in 2007 after he was accused in relation to drug crimes. Those charges were later retired, and the cousins joined Richmond in 2009.
Naitanui, who admits that he idolized Cousins when he was young, joined the Eagles as a second selection in the 2008 National Draft and made his debut for the club in 2009.
He was the first to use the jumper from Cousins, and Harley Reid later received the honor.
The great west coast, the great Nic Naitanui (in the photo) has been opened on the history of how it inherited the legend of the Eagles, Ben Cousin, the iconic T -shirt No. 9
Naitanui talked about how he inherited the cousin's shirt (in the photo), claiming that he was “overwhelming”
“I had a cut in my refrigerator, Cuzzy was the one who was kicking with me and obtained a photo, so it was well that it was great,” Naitanui told the Backchat Studios podcast.
'One year or two later, you can wear your shirt.
'I am like that, it's great but scary. A lot of weight comes with that number. There was a lot of drama that led to that number was free.
'He was wild'.
Naitanui was considered one of the younger prospects in his group of his year, would make his debut in the AFL for the Eagles in Round 12 of the 2009 season against Richmond.
Coincidentally, on the other side of the field for the match was Cousins, in front of his old club for the first time.
“But as you said, my first game was against Richmond, which was against Cuzzy and it was Cuzzy's first game against the west coast,” Nanaitaui added.
“That was strange in itself again.”
The cousins would then leave the Eagles and continue playing for Richmond, where he and Naitanui were once in the field
Naitanui told the Podcast a funny story of how Cousins told him to “remove his shirt” when before a rebound center
Harley Reid was selected by West Coast Eagles with the Selection of Draft number 1 in 2023 and received the iconic jumper No. 9
Naitanui then revealed that he took a step forward for the first central rebound of the game when Cousins delivered a hilarious sled to the Eagles star.
“I will never forget in the rebound center that Cuzzy told me:” Take off my sweater, friend. “
“That killed me,” he said.
'I was overwhelmed for the whole occasion because it was a beginning of 7 o'clock in Telstra Dome and I had already been building it in the hotel room, it gave me a shit and then you have one of my idols growing telling me to take away your sweater. I am like: “Ah, man, it's better that we win.”
“We lost,” he replied.
He and Cousins are still great friends, with the Eagles legend congratulating the winner of the 2018 Premier League for an outstanding race.
“It was a privilege to use that sweater for a long time,” Cousins told Western Australia.
'Peter Wilson and Brayden Lyle were some of the boys who were before, but it was great to see him (Naitanui) take it and do his own, he really did.
'Whoever takes it from him has large shoes to fill.
“It was great to see him running in the sweater in which I played and have such a wonderful career becoming the man who is.”