Jake Waterman heard the in-coming missile. Instinctively he threw an arm up and wrapped it over his head.
A friendly local magpie, presumably one of the flock who so often join the West Coast Eagles contingent at meal time, swooped low and was just saying g’day.
A little while later, a golf ball landed just past the wing on the turf, about 20 metres from players that has been more than adequate as a make-shift training venue in the high performance centre at the Royal Pines Resort.
The golfer who had hit the wayward drive, wandered onto the football surface, club in hand and a bucket of sand to cover an expectant divot as he hit a wedge over the trees to get back onto the fairway.
To the naked eye, he looked like he might have been out-of-bounds, but without a goal-post camera to delineate, we had to go with his call.
Another 10 minutes lapsed and another dimpled white projectile made its way over the trees and landed in a similar spot. We waited for the owner of that errant strike to saunter across to play his way out of trouble.
He did not venture beyond the tree line. Perhaps a little embarrassed by the degree to which he mishit his drive, he sped past in his cart, head bowed. Nothing to see here. He dropped a provisional.
There was so much aerial traffic I was half expecting Tom Barrass to drop from the sky; or at least the air raid siren to sound a warning.
It was the final run on this parcel of land that had goal posts implanted for this five-week live-in; just one example of how accommodating management and staff have been since our arrival.
Dodging golf balls while working through a training session has not been a regular activity; it just so happened this uncommon occurrence unfolded with players from consecutive groups unable to guide their tee shot to the manicured turf on the way to a green surrounded by water.
When the agility poles, used by defensive coach Jaymie Graham for drills with his backline players to navigate their way through traffic, were removed, it signalled the final time they would be speared into the turf.
There were a lot of things that happened for the last time today.
Once the players completed the captain's run, those who were not in the team were engaged in a scrimmage session with Brisbane. That will be the last time, possibly for the season, they are able to do that.
With AFL players prevented from playing in second tier competitions within each State, the challenge for those players on the periphery of selection becomes even tougher.
Training form will be the only guide.
They returned later afternoon from that hit-out, and used the pool as a recovery tool. This body of water is more accustomed to having bodies lying around it basking in the sun, than 190cm athletes wading through it waist deep. Not necessarily at this time of the year, but the deck chairs sprinkled around the perimeter and a grass rooved gazebo are reasonable indicators as to its more common use.
The dining area, on the lower level of the complex that has served meals for hard-working athletes for 34 days, catered for the final time with the evening meal.
Players made use of the pool table, near a large meeting room, which in turn was adjacent to an expansive treatment room, one final time. A pinball machine, the most popular piece of equipment in the precinct got one last work over.
Because scores can be logged competition has been fierce to sit at the top of the leader board.
Likewise, the table tennis table has been witness to some quality pong. There has been no clear performer above the rest, but it has been engaging.
Tomorrow, after the players leave for the final time and head to Brisbane to play Adelaide they may well spend a little time reflecting on this experience, once the business of trying to chalk up another win is done.
