West Coast star Nic Naitanui is set to play his first WAFL match in a decade on Saturday with the game expected to draw a massive television audience after successful negotiations between Channel 7 and East Fremantle.

The Sharks will host West Coast at New Choice Homes Park at 11.40am after the game was brought forward to allow Channel 7 to broadcast Naitanui’s comeback from a second knee reconstruction.

West Coast premiership defender Tom Barrass is also a chance to play for the club’s WAFL team after recovering from foot surgery two months ago.

East Fremantle rejected the initial request to move the game to Sunday because of junior football commitments at the ground that day.

But the game will now be played on Saturday morning with the broadcast leading into Channel 7’s delayed coverage of the Fremantle-Melbourne match at the MCG.

East Fremantle and Channel 7 finished their negotiations yesterday with both parties satisfied with the outcome.

Heavy rain and a possible thunderstorm is forecast for Saturday morning, increasing the chances of Channel 7 drawing its biggest WAFL audience of the season.

About 30,000 metropolitan viewers watched the recent televised match between Subiaco and Perth.

It is possible that Naitanui, who has been offered a new three-year deal, could play the next two WAFL matches then return to the Eagles next month in the 50th western derby played against Fremantle.

The 29-year-old has not played in the WAFL since the 2009 preliminary final when he made the last of his 23 league appearances for Swan Districts.

Naitanui starred in the 2008 WAFL grand final when one of the highlights of the match was his spectacular run-down tackle of Subiaco’s Phil Read.

A WAFL women’s match between East Fremantle and Peel was originally scheduled as a curtain-raiser to the West Coast game but that will now be played after the men.