Excuse the tautology, but it’s a balmy night in Cambodia and across the road from the Australian Embassy, in busy Phnom Penh, is a flood lit sporting complex.

There are five or six fields of varying rectangular dimensions and soccer would appear to be the sport of choice. Sandwiched between the enthusiastic locals, your eye is immediately attracted to something completely different.

A group of blokes are going through some Australian football training drills on the artificial turf surface.

Driven by curiosity, we just had to have a look at this group of about 20 young men sweating it out and it soon becomes apparent they are the Cambodian Eagles. A by-product of a visit to these parts two years ago when a West Coast brought its first and second year players on a tour of enlightenment, these guys just love their footy.

The Cambodian Eagles are compromised largely of expatriates located here for business, but desperate to help this country and its charming people rebuild after the horrific rein of Pol Pot.

Footy provides those Australians based here with a recreational outlet and, as they train near the banks of the mighty Mekong River, they are preparing to play in the Indo Cup, which will pit them against teams from other countries in this region on Sunday.

Australian football is being played regularly off shore. They generally need to compromise on ground size, often on playing numbers as well, but they are always enthusiastic and whole-hearted.

The Cambodian Eagles are one of about 15 sister clubs around the world supported by the West Coast Eagles and each enjoys the relationship.

As they go through their paces in the draining humidity, the sweat drips off of them.

They are delighted to have some respite when West Coast’s Peter Worsfold is invited by president Steve Morrish to interrupt and offer some encouragement for the weekend’s challenge.

Worsfold gives the group a brief insight into the modus operandi of the Eagles, but dares not chat for too long, because the venue has been booked for an hour and time is wasting.

With that, the boys slip back into a lane drill (there’s not much room for anything else) and continue to participate in what appears to be an exhausting session. Importantly, this squad is not made up entirely of expats, with a couple of locals taking a shining to the game and contributing as energetically is anyone else.