West Coast have secured a short-term replacement for injured star Nic Naitanui, landing Geelong big man Nathan Vardy in a trade.

Vardy, 25, joins the Eagles in exchange for the No.72 pick in this year’s AFL draft and will provide much-needed ruck support to Scott Lycett and Jonathan Giles in Naitanui’s absence.

Naitanui is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2017 season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament.