Eagles wiser after Africa trip

THE WEST COAST EAGLES are home from South Africa, not a lot older but a lot wiser. Coach John Worsfold said the players had been shocked by some of the sights they'd seen, but said the trip was outstanding.

"They get a totally different understanding about what opportunities they have delivered to themselves, regardless of being footballers, by living in Australia," he said.

"It was nothing to do with the year that the club's had, because these players here are outstanding young men, but I certainly believed they would learn a lot from it, that was the purpose of going.

"It was to develop the game and help to promote the game in South Africa, but from a personal level for them all to learn about life and see that it is different in different places.

"I think it was eye-opening for them, and some of them were probably shocked by what they saw and smelled and heard, but they all coped with it extremely well."

Worsfold said it was part of the cultural change the 2006 premiers required and which was already well underway.

"That's part of it, yes, there's no doubt about that, but in saying that I believe our cultural change is just about completed. It's been happening over the last two or three years, and as I said, the players we've got on our list now are outstanding young men who saw a different culture, a different society and community that people live in, and certainly understand that the opportunities that they've got here are pretty lucky."

A completely different way of looking at the world was the major thing Worsfold expected the players to bring back with them.

"Kids [in South Africa] don't know what's out there, [are] not striving for material things. They just live and are happy living day to day, with what they've got.

"Not many kids that came to any of our clinics had shoes, but that's not something they worry about. They just get out there and they were just happy to kick the football around with the guys.

"They're just accepting what they've got and being happy with that."