Renowned American poet Maya Angelou suggested that if you don’t understand where you have come from, you won’t know where you’re going.

Last Friday, at the Emerald Hotel in South Melbourne, the West Coast Eagles re-connected with its past, but at the same looked to the future with a 30-year function.

Among the guests was AFL coaching legend Michael Malthouse, who steered the club to premierships in 1992 and 1994, his captain in those triumphs and 2006 premiership coach John Worsfold, Hall of Fame defender Guy McKenna and a host of inaugural players.

Leading the field of past champions – affectionately referred to as OWLS (older, wiser, larger, slower) – was the club’s first captain, Ross Glendinning, David Hart, John Annear, Geoff Miles, Mark Zanotti, Paul Peos, Chris Waterman, Steve Malaxos, who was the first club champion, Glenn Bartlett (current Melbourne president), Karl Langdon and David O’Connell.

In addition 2006 premiership stars Ashley Hansen and Tyson Stenglein joined the festivities, along with Chad Jones, who played seven games for the Eagles and is the brother of premiership half-back Brett Jones.

Former administrator Bill Kerr, a key figure in the club’s formative years, chief executive Trevor Nisbett and long-serving Melbourne office staffer Stephen Nash, who was the MC, Tim Gepp and Peter Whittaker also kept the function lively.

Sponsors, many long-time captain’s club members and some who had their first experience in the West Coast inner sanctum, were regaled with some great stories of the past and were shown some of the motivational video clips which helped to stimulate the players to the heights of success.

It was a great connection, an intriguing and fun trip down memory lane with some of the past players catching up for the first time in decades.