WEST Coast defender Sam Butler had one of the weirdest reunion experiences of all the 2006 premiership players that gathered for the 10-year anniversary function on Thursday night. 

While the large majority of the players in that victorious Eagles side gathered prior to the match between West Coast and Essendon for a lap of honour around Domain Stadium, Butler was preparing to play.

He is the only member of the 2006 flag-winning team still playing, and he said running out through the guard of honour that was provided by his premiership teammates was a surreal moment.

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"It felt weird, honestly it felt weird," Butler told AFL.com.au.

"We haven't been in the same room or same area for a long time. To have that kind of happen for the first time with the guard of honour when I was running out, it was kind of a surreal, weird situation.

"But it's great to see those guys with smiling faces and I'm really looking forward to the next couple of days catching up with them and having a yarn." 

Twenty of the 22 players that played were present for the reunion. Brownlow medallist Ben Cousins was absent due his ongoing battle with drug addiction, while defender Brett Jones is overseas.

Those two as well as Butler, Eagles assistant coach Dean Cox, and the Eagles premiership coach John Worsfold, now Essendon's coach, were unable to take part in the lap of honour where the players paraded the premiership cup to the fans that had arrived early.

Worsfold was completely oblivious to the pre-game parade as he was focussed on preparing his young Bombers side.

"I didn't see any of the parade unfortunately," Worsfold said post-match.

"I don't even know when it was, so I'm in the dark about anything that happened in that regard."

Daniel Chick was present for the reunion despite being publicly critical of the club in recent times.

The players were in the West Coast rooms post-match to help celebrate the Eagles' 78-point win over the Bombers.

Worsfold said he wasn't in a great mood immediately following the loss, but he said would cheer up when he joins in the celebrations later.

"Right now I'm just being a sad sack," Worsfold said.

"But I'll get over that and enjoy a quiet meal with some good friends."

Eagles coach Adam Simpson will fly to Melbourne on Friday for North Melbourne's 20-year anniversary of the 1996 premiership.