Former Bulldog Daniel Southern returned home to Australia 12 months ago a changed man.
From wild child to AFL footballer to the volatile streets of Egypt, Southern's journey has given him a perspective on life that few in the football community can comprehend.
After nine years of making a life for himself in Cairo, Southern, along with his wife and three-year-old son, fled the post-revolution city for a safer life in Australia.
Now a full-time mentor with the Clontarf Foundation, Southern hopes his broad life experiences and passion for embracing other cultures will help him change the lives of young indigenous men.
He and his family spent a year living in Tennant Creek near Alice Springs before relocating to Perth in his home state two months ago to work with the Western Australian academy.
"I feel like I'm giving a little bit back to the young indigenous men that I work with," Southern said.
"Hopefully I'm passing on a little bit of knowledge and wisdom through my journey and the life experiences that I've been exposed to.
"There's a lot of bridges that still need to be built, but it starts with education. We're just trying to get our young men to school. Get them to finish their education and hopefully move into full-time employment, and hopefully be positive male role models in generations to come."