On Sunday afternoon, the West Coast Eagles and Sydney Swans will not only lock horns for premiership points at Patersons Stadium, but they will also be playing for the HMAS Sydney II Trophy.

The annual game is played in honour of the 645 navy personnel who were killed when the HMAS Sydney II sank off the Western Australian coast after a battle with the German ship Kormoran in 1941. 

The game will also serve as a fundraiser for the Legacy foundation, which supports families who have lost loved ones in the line of battle.

Henry Diddams may only be 14, but he understands the dangers of battle, as his father, Blaine, was tragically killed in Afghanistan last year.

Henry joined senior coach John Worsfold at a press conference on Wednesday, and Worsfold said the game was very special to the club.

“It’s very special to the club in terms of remembering the HMAS Sydney II and the fact that it was lost for so long and then discovered,” he said.

“Just recognising the enormous sacrifice people have made in protecting our country.”

Worsfold also said the players would be educated on the meaning and importance of the game.

“(The players) will understand what the game is about and it is a part of Australian history that we want to make sure is not forgotten.”

When asked if he was an Eagles supporter, Henry replied:

“I will be on Sunday.

“I think it will be a very good game, it means a lot.”

Henry was given a signed ball and a tour of the club, and will toss the coin before the game on Sunday afternoon.