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After training in Potchefstroom on Monday, Collingwood players experienced some confronting South African culture on Tuesday.
The club arrived in South Africa on Sunday after a 33-hour journey that included stopovers in Singapore and Dubai, and after an intense training session on Monday that allowed players to acclimatise to the high-altitude conditions, on Tuesday they took the chance to explore some culturally distinct parts of the country.
"It's been quite fascinating, we had a wonderful day (on Tuesday), we went out to a shanty town community on the outskirts of Potchefstroom and that was incredible," Collingwood defender Shane Wakelin told collingwoodfc.com.au.
"So many happy faces on so many of these innocent little kids.
"No Sony Playstations, no flash DVD players… but they were all happy, out on the streets, playing cricket and rolling car tyres up and down the street, and kicking soccer balls.
"They were absolutely ecstatic when the boys rolled into the tuckshop on the street, and I think the boys bought the tuckshop out of Chupa Chups and sweet lollies, and handed them out as we walked up the street. It was fantastic seeing the kids' reactions and seeing all the smiles on their faces, so it was definitely an eye-opener."
Before visiting that community the boys stopped by at an orphanage to meet some young locals less fortunate than themselves.
Being a father of two, Wakelin explained that the reality facing the young South Africans in the home made it quite a moving experience for him.
"We dropped into an orphanage on the way through before we went off to the other community. They did call it an orphanage, it was sort of a half way home for street kids.
"I noticed a lot of the young (Collingwood) boys probably didn't fully understand the significance of probably what I was thinking, having young kids, and seeing kids that were in some cases four, five, six years of age, not much older than my little girl, so it hits hard, and shows how fortunate we are, but at the same time, they're still happy, these kids.
"They've obviously moved away from home for all different types of reasons, but they're still genuinely happy and living in a wonderfully supportive environment in these childhood half way houses."
Wakelin went on to explain that already after one training session, which was conducted on a lush rugby ground, one of the main objectives of the coaching staff is to have the team conditioned for the first pre-season cup match against Adelaide in Dubai on February 9.
"There's been a real focus on preparing for that game in Dubai in about three weeks time, so we'll continue to grow our understanding of our game plan, and our team rules and the different strategies we'll be using.
"So that will evolve over the next two and a half weeks, hopefully the younger kids will continue to grasp what Mick (Malthouse) wants, and what players require of the new players coming into the group, so from that point of view, it's all exciting.
"We had a pretty solid day after that 33-hour trip, and it was good to blow a bit of muck out of the system so to speak, and have a good stretch out, and get ready for quite a big session on Wednesday, and we might even play an intra-club match on Friday."
Collingwood will spend two-and-a-half weeks utilising the world-class high-altitude facilities at Potchefstroom's North West University, before heading to Dubai to take on the Crows.
View images below. All photos copyright Russell Butler and collingwoodfc.com.au.
Players hit the training track on Monday.jpg)
Children playing by a rubbish repository in one of the communities on the outskirts of Potchefstroom.jpg)
Happy South African children.jpg)
Harry O'Brien and Brodie Holland get to know local children
