Less than three weeks ago, a furious Daniel Chick was unloading on his former AFL club after a The Footy Show expose on the drug culture of the 2006 Eagles premiership side.
But on Thursday night the 40-year-old was welcomed back into the fold, even getting his hands on the coveted cup again, as the West Coast side of 2006 provided a guard of honour for the current team before the Domain Stadium clash with Essendon.
How the former player and club healed old wounds so quickly is a mixture of random luck - a bizarre meeting between Chick and former combatant Andrew Embley on a golf course - and also a concerted effort by Eagles management.
Chick was flanked in a lap of honour by the Eagles' long-time star back pocket David Wirrpanda, while 2006 Norm Smith medallist Embley walked alongside the West Coast captain of that flag-winning team, Chris Judd.
In total 20 of the Eagles' 22 players from that magical day nearly 10 years ago made it on to the field for the occasion. The troubled Ben Cousins, after another sad off-field incident earlier in the week, was not present, while defender Brett Jones was overseas at a wedding.
Daniel Kerr, another star midfielder of that team who has battled off-field issues, was seen walking the boundary with his children, while Ash Hansen and Tyson Stenglein returned from the eastern states for the reunion.
The celebratory mood was tempered a little early in Thursday night's game, as the bottom-of-the-table Bombers kicked the first two quick goals. But by half-time West Coast was back in control.
