The duo made the trip as part of the club’s Kicking Goals program, run in conjunction with BHP Billiton and Swan Districts Football Club.
Cox paid a visit to students at Newman Senior High School, while Kennedy headed to Hedland Senior High School.
As a country boy originally, Cox says that the Kicking Goals trips are something that he looks forward to.
“Growing up in the country, you don’t always get the chance to see your favourite sporting team,” the all-Australian said.
“I know when I was younger, I always looked forward to visits like this. So it’s nice to be able to head up there and spend a bit of time with these kids.
“Its important we get to see our fans out of Perth as well. We’ve got support all over WA, not just in Perth, so Kicking Goals visits mean we can get out of Perth a spend a bit of time with our country fans.”
Kicking Goals is one of Australia’s largest regional based 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.
The program is a curriculum-based initiative that utilises a reward and incentive system, where students are required to maintain certain key performance indicators to stay in the program and be eligible for various incentives, including visits by West Coast Eagles players.
West Coast Eagles players and staff make 10 visits to the Pilbara every year as part of the Kicking Goals program, where they conduct motivational talks and football clinics with students.
The West Coast Eagles would like to thank its principal community partner BHP Billiton for making Kicking Goals possible.
