A current West Coast star and a hero from yesteryear ventured to Western Australia’s far north to visit the club’s Kicking Goals participants recently.

Superstar ruckman Nic Naitanui flew to Newman, while former player come Eagles development coach Mark Nicoski journeyed to Port Hedland for the club’s third Kicking Goals trip of 2017.

Naitanui, participating in his second Kicking Goals trip for the year, led several football clinics at Newman Senior High School before addressing the region’s Strength to Succeed group.

He told the talented collective of footballers to make the most of their skills and to take up any opportunity that came their way, including a chance to play in a curtain raiser game ahead of West Coast’s Round 19 match against Brisbane at Domain Stadium.

Mark Nicoski passed on some pearls of footballing wisdom to Hedland Senior High School students

In Port Hedland, Nicoski was impressed with the variety of skills on display at Hedland Senior High School.

The 112-game AFL campaigner also conducted several football clinics, where he ran the children through a number of West Coast-specific drills.

He also spoke openly about his playing career and recent transition to coaching.

V Swans Hedland region Kicking Goals program manager Shane Beros said Nicoski was a hit with the students.

“His experience in the game and now as a West Coast Eagles coach is second to none,” Beros said.

“It’s such a great opportunity for the kids to have him come up and visit them.”

The Kicking Goals program, run in conjunction with West Coast Eagles principal community partner BHP and Swan Districts Football Club, is one of Australia’s largest regional AFL mentoring programs, combining sport-based initiatives to help high school students in the Pilbara towns of Port Hedland and Newman achieve better educational and employment outcomes.