If you can't join them, Skype them. Eastlake has three Sydney-based players on its list and is using the voice-over-internet protocol service to help make the trio part of Monday team meetings.
Demons duo Ryan Brabazon and Tom Ayton were recruited from WAFL team Claremont and the pair are now housemates in Sydney, while Leigh McMahon also spends half his week in the harbour city.
The trio make the four-hour commute up the Hume together for Friday night training and Eastlake coach Anthony Bourke thinks the arrangement has been working well.
''It's a balancing act, modern technology helps,'' said Bourke, who works in IT. ''We split some vision on Mondays and post it on the website that they can access, [they] conference call into our Monday meetings, a bit of Skype, mobile phone usage, which is good.''
''So we get them involved in Monday's review … it's not an ideal situation but the way footy's going it's one of those avenues we've had to explore and whether it works or not, time will tell.''
■ TODAY
NEAFL eastern conference, round six: NT Thunder v Sydney Swans reserves at Marrara Stadium, Darwin, 7pm; Eastlake v GWS Giants reserves at Manuka Oval, 9.30am.
TOMORROW
Tuggeranong v Sydney Hills Eagles at Greenway at 11.45am; Queanbeyan v Sydney University at Margaret Donoghoe Oval at 11.45am; Belconnen v Ainslie at Manuka Oval at 2pm.
