It wasn’t your average week in Newman, with former West Coast Eagles star and all-round legend Nic Naitanui swapping out his footy boots and kit for steel caps and hi-vis to visit schools around Newman and spend time with the Newman Operations team.  

Nic Nat is a big believer in giving back and spending time in the community, especially engaging with youth in regional towns through initiatives such as the Role Models program.

“It’s one of the biggest things I've always taken joy in, and it's very rare in your workplace where you get to be able to do that on a regular basis. And I've been fortunate enough to do it for a long time. 

“I see it as an important job, especially with sport up here. It’s very few and far between where they get to see someone from an AFL club, so they're always pretty excited every time one of us do come up here.” 

During the visit, Nic Nat donned his PPE and stopped by Newman Operations to say g’day, including spending time with leaders for a ‘fireside discussion’ covering topics such as creating a high-performance culture and sustaining long-term performance. 

“To everyone in the mining industry, thanks for what you do. It’s what makes our economy and our football club run.  

“It’s hard work, long shifts but doing it for the betterment of the WA community and country as a whole. The workers here have tonnes to be proud of, there are a lot of great things happening,” he said. 

Asset President, Tim Day said there’s nothing like footy to bring the community together: “It was great to have him on-site but more importantly at the local schools and in the community. Everyone loved it.  

“Together with West Coast, we work to empower the young people in the communities where we operate through promoting healthy lifestyles, like getting out and kicking the footy with mates. And it’s hard to beat having a kick with Nic Nat at your local oval.” 

BHP has proudly partnered with the West Coast Eagles for close to 20 years, and our current Youth Engagement Partnership promotes education, health, participation and positive lifestyle messages to empower youth in the communities in which we operate. 

Thanks for visiting, Nic Nat!