Mineral Resources Park, the home of the West Coast Eagles, was a hive of activity during the first week of the April school holidays, as the club held back-to-back coaching clinics for the football stars of tomorrow.

The week began with the Female Footy Clinic thanks to Youth Engagement Partner BHP, as over 100 girls aged from Pre-Primary to Year 12 flocked to the football field to practise their skills.

The future AFLW stars were put through their paces by some of the club’s current AFLW squad, including fan favourites Grace and Niamh Kelly and Dana Hooker, as well as current AFL player Brendon Ah Chee and WAFL Eagles captain Hamish Brayshaw.

No sooner had the Female Footy Clinic wrapped up, than 200 more excitable kids and their parents arrived for the BHP Coaching Clinic.

As a gesture of thanks to the club’s Youth Engagement Partner, the children of BHP employees were invited to club headquarters to run through a range of football drills led by West Coast Eagles players.

Following a warm welcome from General Manager – Community and Game Development Richard O’Connell and ruckman Nic Naitanui, the youngsters had the chance to run out onto the field through a banner, before splitting into groups and practising their kicking, handballing and marking skills with current AFL and AFLW players.

The football bonanza was rounded out with the Junior Member Coaching Clinic, as 200 eager young Eagles fans hit the training track to take part in a series of fun activities with AFLW players and club staff.

Club mascot Rick the Rock was a hit as he did the rounds and helped the kids perfect their footy skills, but an undoubted highlight was when the West Coast Eagles AFL team began training on the oval next-door, and the junior members found themselves literally training besides their football heroes.

The West Coast Eagles would like to thank the 500-plus junior fans who attended these school holiday events; we hope you had as much fun as our staff and players did!

Thanks must also go to Youth Engagement Partner BHP, who made these junior events possible.

For more information about junior Eagles membership, click here, and for further details about the club’s female football programs, click here.