Standing at 195 cm, Naughton is considered a key-position player who is renowned for his strong marking skills and can play both in defence and attack.

He is known by his Western Bulldogs fans as the AstroNaught due to his surname and for his large leaps to grasp outstanding high-flying marks.

[9] Naughton narrowly missed playing in the Thunder's premiership victory against Subiaco, having former Fremantle player Zac Dawson chosen instead of him.

[11] Naughton went on to play 18 games in his debut season, finishing fourth in the club best-and-fairest count and winning the Chris Grant Best First Year Player Award.

He was named as one of the Bulldogs' best players in their close win over West Coast, after kicking 3 goals, including the one that put them back in front in the final quarter.