Prized West Coast recruit Nic Naitanui has been a frustrated spectator on the AFL sidelines - and he has a simple one-legged squat to blame.

Naitanui, the 201cm ruckman snared with pick No.2 in last year's national draft, was primed for a big summer before a run-of-the-mill gym session in January threw all of his best-laid plans out the window.

"It's funny, I couldn't do a one-legged squat in the gym so the doctor's pulled me up and told me to have a scan on that," Naitanui said on Wednesday.

"I had a bit of bone floating around under my knee.

"They said I could keep playing this year without getting anything done but it had the chance and the risk of getting worse so I said I'd rather get it (surgery) done.

"I could have been playing WAFL right now but then again the priority is just to get my body right.

"It's been a bit of a wake up call for me.

"It's been a bit tough ... I can't wait to get back out there.

"It is frustrating, I'm not the best of swimmers.

"I've spent most of my time in the pool or boxing so just to get back out on the track is a good feeling.

"Seeing Daniel (Rich) and (Stephen) Hilly and (Jeff) Garlett ... out there (playing senior footy) makes you want to get out there.

"But I've just got to take it slowly."

Naitanui will resume full training next week and hopes to line up for WAFL side Swan Districts in three weeks time.

But the 18-year-old, whose dreadlocks and Fijian descent has already made him a favourite amongst Eagles supporters, said he was unsure whether he would break through for an AFL game this year.

"I'm just looking to go back to Swans firstly and if I do all right there then it's up to the coaching staff," he said.

"It's a bonus to play AFL football so I'm not really looking at this first year to play every game of the rest of the season,

"I'm just looking to further improve my body and get over my knee injury.

"My fitness has got a bit more to go, I haven't played a game since the (WAFL) grand final last year.

"Also my jump as well, I had surgery on my leg that I normally jump off so if I can get that right again it should be all good.

"It (the spring) will come back.

"It hasn't gone away, (I've) just got to get that muscle back up."

Meanwhile, Eagles defender David Wirrpanda has been ruled out of Saturday's clash with St Kilda due to lingering soreness in his hamstring.

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