Interstate travel

ah_19

Team Captain
Nov 25, 2000
546
1
perth
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eagles
no one would argue that travelling 10 times a year from perth to melb/adelaide/brisbane/sydney is a big disadvantage, this is highligthed through the fact that over the 10 years that mick was the eagles coach towards the end of EVERY year we began to play poorly.

It IS a factor.

perth teams are most disadvantaged due to the distance to melbourne.

I beleive that interstate teams should be allowed to have a few extra squad members to balance this, the reduction of the list # to 38 damages the interstate teams even more because now the players are exposed to travel even more.

In exchange for the extra squad members i beleive the teams should support an equalisation fund to some extend, perhaps give up 7% of the total profit (per player) to divide up among the other 15 teams, this will support the vic teams the most, as they are the poorest. The eagles profit of last year was 2.7 million, ahead by miles of the rest

or melbourne teams should play home games away from melbourne, like north are doing in sydney, they wouldnt really be to get the supporters, they would be to get $$$,
eg eagles vs dogs, in melb 20 thousand will turn up, in perth 35-40k will turn up, the profits should goto the interstate team, and the cost of travel should also be handed over. Both of these ideas would help 10 teams survive in victoria, and lets face it otherwise some will leave or die.
 
Jun 6, 2000
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Maybe the WA teams should play two consecutive home matches followed by two consecutive away matches and stay in Melbourne. They could pool their resources to set up a permanent base in Melbourne where the players could live/train during the week between away games. Trips to Bris, Syd and Adel would be required at some stage, but the total amount of travelling would be reduced considerably.
 

Visro

Premiership Player
Aug 1, 2000
3,094
10
I was reading somewhere that the Western Australian footballers get enough frequent flyers points in one season to fly to NZ and back from Perth 2 times!!
eek.gif


Cant be that bad then, think about it, your getting paid to go on holidays
biggrin.gif


Vis
 

Santos L Helper

Cancelled
Jan 22, 2001
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Arrogant Prick
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Thank you JUB JUB, I agree 100% The travel wasn't a problem when the Eagles went top, was it?!?!? Now there crap, out come all the excuses
rolleyes.gif


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If ya smell what Santos is cooking!!
 
Dec 7, 2000
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Originally posted by Richmondfan#1:
No point complaining!
You joined the league, accepted the conditions, now put up with them!!


Funny how the victorians don't seem to have that attitude when it comes to financial problems.

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"I'm not going to waste my life trying to prolong it"
 

Richmondfan#1

Norm Smith Medallist
Jul 6, 2000
5,627
15
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I'm not Victorian
tongue.gif
.
Financial troubles and travelling problems are different even if they are the rules.

However what you say is true. But they do get punished. You have to travel interstate - otherwise you can't play footy. They are 2 different issues.
 

Visro

Premiership Player
Aug 1, 2000
3,094
10
At the end of the day they just have to get use to it or find a way in which to minimise the impact of flying so often. That or either leave the comp...

Vis
 

McKenna for PM

Senior List
Nov 20, 2000
186
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Originally posted by Grave Danger:
Maybe the WA teams should play two consecutive home matches followed by two consecutive away matches and stay in Melbourne. They could pool their resources to set up a permanent base in Melbourne where the players could live/train during the week between away games. Trips to Bris, Syd and Adel would be required at some stage, but the total amount of travelling would be reduced considerably.

I thought about that too. But it neglects to attack one of the main problems - long periods away from family and friends. All I know is that if I was a player I wouldn't like the idea of increasing my time away from my family.

And to the Victorian comments - we have always complained about travelling. The fact is it is not fair. The same way expecting teams with smaller supporter bases to financially compete with those of larger ones is not fair. A three hour flight to and from Melbourne is a big strain on players. How are they expected to recover from injuries as rapidly as their more fortunate counterparts when they have six hours of sitting on a plane to do?
 
Sep 10, 2000
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Travel is a major influence.
It was the main factor that stopped the eagles of the early 90's from reaching the heights they could have and should have.
On top of the travel prospect, isolation is another factor.And the high cost of keeping interstate players.For sum reason west aussies over there settle in far more easily than eastern staters.
So the high cost of players is another down fall.
But that said, it only really makes victories for the eagles and dockers in melbourne that much sweeter.
 

Eagle_Fan

Club Legend
Apr 17, 2000
2,180
34
Wooshaville
AFL Club
West Coast
This has been done before.

The constant travel has it's greatest effect on injuries, both sustained in the game played away, and on the chronic type of injury which shortens careers. The players aren't able to get the type of treatment and imediate rehab they can recieve when playing at home.

It's my opinion that a decades travel compounded the niggling injuries that many of the 'stars of the early 90s' had, and forced a few of them to retire a season or two early.

It'd be interesting to compare the careers of two similar players, one melbourne based, and one based distinctly interstate. But theres so many other variable factors that nothing could be comprehensively determined.

Anyway, for now there's nothing further that can be done. The Eagles and Dockers medical teams have looked into the best way to treat injuries sustained away, and sometimes leave injured players over there for a few days so as not to worsen the injury with the flight.

But if you're really interested, search the history for the last time we argued this.
 

mantis

Hall of Famer
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Mar 9, 2001
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I know I am going to have all the WA people jumping down my throat again, but hey people, when you agreed to join the AFL you knew you had to do a lot of travelling, if you weren't happy with those arrangements, why did you join. They haven't changed the rules on you, you still get the same number of home games as when you started, so why complain now, or is this your excuse for not playing well this year.

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RED & BLACK, THE COLOURS OF FENG SHUI

[This message has been edited by mantis (edited 04 April 2001).]
 
Apr 2, 2000
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Originally posted by mantis:
I know I am going to have all the WA people jumping down my throat again, but hey people, when you agreed to join the AFL you knew you had to do a lot of travelling, if you weren't happy with those arrangements, why did you join. They haven't changed the rules on you, you still get the same number of home games as when you started, so why complain now, or is this your excuse for not playing well this year.


There not excuses there facts. Travel hurts players more, if Essendon came over to Perth every second Weekend lets see how well they do. Im not making excuses, we had success (92 and 94) with travelling and we have had bad years like last year with travelling but the bottom line is that travelling does hurt players and teams. Its a fact not an excuse.
 

ah_19

Team Captain
Nov 25, 2000
546
1
perth
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eagles
the fact is that the majority of the eagles players didnt play beyond the age of 30, not sure of the exact statistics but more or less they play on average 50+ games less than a victorian player

our form this year hasnt got much to do wtih injury, its got to do wtih our list,

you have all jumped at the chance to display your mightly skills of assumption and say that this is an excuse

if you read it you will see it is more of an idea, none of you countered the fact that travel hurts, or said anything about the idea

great replies, were worthwhile reading
 

Bloodstained Angel

Premiership Player
Mar 21, 2000
3,765
20
Sydney, Nsw, Australia
The Weagles are rich enough to charter or lease their own specially fitted out aircraft, complete with medical facilities, massage tables, exercise equipment, custom built seating etc etc.

All the big American sports teams travel this way and of course the English Soccer guys have travelled in custom built luxury coaches for years now.

cheers
 

anna

Debutant
Feb 25, 2001
62
0
Australia
What would be interesting to have happen is for the Melbourne teams to play 6 games interstate every year.
Then it may become a bit fairer, instead of some teams only playing interstate 3 times per year.
I think that the Western Austalian teams and Qld team should have more players on the bench and list to cover the long term damage travel does to the recovering bodies.
Also I think if the Melbourne based teams were required to play all 6 interstate teams away for a couple of years, things would change big time.
 
Sep 22, 2000
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Originally posted by Grave Danger:
The AFL should buy (or charter) a couple of planes for the exclusive use of the AFL teams.


Would you get on a plane owned by the AFL ?
I wouldn't as its bound to have problems like everything else the AFL runs
eek.gif



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"FIGHTING WITH ALL OUR MIGHT"
 

anna

Debutant
Feb 25, 2001
62
0
Australia
I like the idea of having 1/2 the team on separate flights.
The amount of mishaps that have occured in the Australian Airline Industry in the last year has increased 10 fold.It would be awful to have a tragedy occur and wipe out a whole AFL team.
As for the AFL buying a plane.They wouldnt because of the insurance payouts, if they owned a plane and something happened, that would be the end of the whole league.
Shudder at the thought of it all.
 

Mags

Premiership Player
Suspended
Sep 14, 2000
4,069
18
Melbourne
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Oh For Christ Sakes.....

West Coast and Freo should be use to flyin to and from Melbourne anyway. Its apart of modern day football.

And its not 3 times a year thank u very much Western Australians its 4 times a year mim.

West Coast flying didnt stop them from winning 2 flags did it?

Talk about stuipity! Gezz
rolleyes.gif
 

rickster

Team Captain
Dec 5, 2000
424
75
Geelong
AFL Club
Geelong
'The amount of mishaps that have occured in the Australian Airline Industry in the last year has increased 10 fold.It would be awful to have a tragedy occur and wipe out a whole AFL team.'

I couldn't believe it when I heard Richmond were going to travel in two separate planes:

1. Name one occasion where someone has been killed as a result of a (commercial flight) airborne accident in Australia

2. On this rationale members of a family would travel on separate flight to go for a holiday. hmmmm......

3. Who do Richmond think they are? Are they award-winning scientists? No. They kick a football between two sticks.

Cheers
 

hotham

NMFC 1869
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Jan 12, 2001
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Originally posted by anna:
What would be interesting to have happen is for the Melbourne teams to play 6 games interstate every year.
Then it may become a bit fairer, instead of some teams only playing interstate 3 times per year.
I think that the Western Austalian teams and Qld team should have more players on the bench and list to cover the long term damage travel does to the recovering bodies.
Also I think if the Melbourne based teams were required to play all 6 interstate teams away for a couple of years, things would change big time.

Anna,

I would be happy with your suggestion. The Kangaroos have nine interstate games. Unlike Westcoast and all other interstate teams we have no true home ground advantage.
 
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