West Coast Eagles superstar ruckman Nic Natanui may miss the entirety of the 2017 AFL season.

After undergoing a knee reconstruction late last season, Natanui’s recovery is progressing slower than hoped after earlier flagging a possible return towards the end of the 2017 season.

When fit, 26 year old Natanui (pictured) is capable of being the most dominant ruckman in the competition and he says, with plenty of years left in his career, it would be a mistake to return before regaining full fitness.