The back page of todays West Australian..... 
Travel weary: WA clubs ask for more home games
WEST Coast and Fremantle have asked the AFL to reduce their travel requirements next season.
The two WA clubs take to the air between 12 and 15 times a year - nearly three times as often as Victorian clubs.
The Eagles want all their pre-season matches in Perth and to play one fewer away game. For the latter to happen, a Victorian club would have to transfer one of its home games to Subiaco Oval.
Several cash-strapped Victorian clubs have played home games in Sydney, Tasmania, Brisbane and Canberra in recent years.
Though the Eagles would not be prepared to give any guarantee, a visiting club could expect to make about $200,000 from a Perth game.
The Eagles have also asked that all their away matches be played in the afternoon, rather than at night, which would eliminate the need for the team to be away for three days at a time.
If its proposal is accepted by the AFL, West Coast's travel commitment next year would be cut to nine matches before the finals.
Fremantle has also applied for a lighter travel load, although not to the same extent as the Eagles.
The Dockers have asked to play two of their first three Ansett Cup matches at home, as they did this season. Their other two practice games also would be in Perth.
They have also asked to play home and away matches on alternate weeks, avoiding a repeat of this season's scheduling which will see them play consecutive games in Melbourne in rounds 15 and 16.
Though West Coast acknowledged that travel had a detrimental effect on the players, this was not the motivation for its plea.
Chief executive Trevor Nisbett said the club wanted the competition to be as equitable as possible.
"If we play all of our pre-season games at home, it will mean some of the Melbourne clubs, which travel about four times a year, will have to travel more often," he said.
"There is an indication that the AFL will try to make us travel less in the pre-season to make it more equitable."
Nisbett said that club research in the past 15 years indicated that extensive travel had a detrimental effect on players, making them more susceptible to fatigue and injury.
He said the scheduling of games and times, the availability of flights and inability to treat injuries were the major travel pitfalls.
"There is nothing conclusive that says travel shortens careers but it does interfere with rehabilitation because you can't schedule the flight to suit your needs," Nisbett said.
"It probably takes our players who receive soft tissue injuries in Melbourne longer to mend than others and we don't do anything abnormally different to other clubs."
The Eagles, in conjunction with Life Care, are conducting further research into the effects of travel.
West Coast premiership players Chris Mainwaring and Chris Waterman both believe they were disadvantaged by the constant travel.
Mainwaring, a dual premiership player, said it was not just the flights that affected players before away matches.
"It was the whole package that tired you out," he said. "There was the trip to the airport, the flight, the bus to the hotel, the night spent in a strange bed and the long journey back again. It all combined to take a toll."
Mainwaring estimated he had made about 130 return flights during his 201-match career with the Eagles. He reckoned he had flown a total of almost 950,000 kilometres.
"The flights certainly affected your recovery time," he said.
"Players are put in a high-pressure situation with soft tissue injuries that bleed while you're flying. That is why after a while the Eagles medical staff would take ice packs on the plane so we could get some treatment on the flight."
Waterman agreed with his former teammate, saying there was no doubt that the travel tired players.
"Unlike the Melbourne-based teams we couldn't just jump in the car and drive home," he said.
"Some Melbourne teams only travel three times a year and that is a bit unfair on the Dockers and Eagles."
So..... any takers for that $200,000?
Nah, thought not
Travel weary: WA clubs ask for more home games
WEST Coast and Fremantle have asked the AFL to reduce their travel requirements next season.
The two WA clubs take to the air between 12 and 15 times a year - nearly three times as often as Victorian clubs.
The Eagles want all their pre-season matches in Perth and to play one fewer away game. For the latter to happen, a Victorian club would have to transfer one of its home games to Subiaco Oval.
Several cash-strapped Victorian clubs have played home games in Sydney, Tasmania, Brisbane and Canberra in recent years.
Though the Eagles would not be prepared to give any guarantee, a visiting club could expect to make about $200,000 from a Perth game.
The Eagles have also asked that all their away matches be played in the afternoon, rather than at night, which would eliminate the need for the team to be away for three days at a time.
If its proposal is accepted by the AFL, West Coast's travel commitment next year would be cut to nine matches before the finals.
Fremantle has also applied for a lighter travel load, although not to the same extent as the Eagles.
The Dockers have asked to play two of their first three Ansett Cup matches at home, as they did this season. Their other two practice games also would be in Perth.
They have also asked to play home and away matches on alternate weeks, avoiding a repeat of this season's scheduling which will see them play consecutive games in Melbourne in rounds 15 and 16.
Though West Coast acknowledged that travel had a detrimental effect on the players, this was not the motivation for its plea.
Chief executive Trevor Nisbett said the club wanted the competition to be as equitable as possible.
"If we play all of our pre-season games at home, it will mean some of the Melbourne clubs, which travel about four times a year, will have to travel more often," he said.
"There is an indication that the AFL will try to make us travel less in the pre-season to make it more equitable."
Nisbett said that club research in the past 15 years indicated that extensive travel had a detrimental effect on players, making them more susceptible to fatigue and injury.
He said the scheduling of games and times, the availability of flights and inability to treat injuries were the major travel pitfalls.
"There is nothing conclusive that says travel shortens careers but it does interfere with rehabilitation because you can't schedule the flight to suit your needs," Nisbett said.
"It probably takes our players who receive soft tissue injuries in Melbourne longer to mend than others and we don't do anything abnormally different to other clubs."
The Eagles, in conjunction with Life Care, are conducting further research into the effects of travel.
West Coast premiership players Chris Mainwaring and Chris Waterman both believe they were disadvantaged by the constant travel.
Mainwaring, a dual premiership player, said it was not just the flights that affected players before away matches.
"It was the whole package that tired you out," he said. "There was the trip to the airport, the flight, the bus to the hotel, the night spent in a strange bed and the long journey back again. It all combined to take a toll."
Mainwaring estimated he had made about 130 return flights during his 201-match career with the Eagles. He reckoned he had flown a total of almost 950,000 kilometres.
"The flights certainly affected your recovery time," he said.
"Players are put in a high-pressure situation with soft tissue injuries that bleed while you're flying. That is why after a while the Eagles medical staff would take ice packs on the plane so we could get some treatment on the flight."
Waterman agreed with his former teammate, saying there was no doubt that the travel tired players.
"Unlike the Melbourne-based teams we couldn't just jump in the car and drive home," he said.
"Some Melbourne teams only travel three times a year and that is a bit unfair on the Dockers and Eagles."
So..... any takers for that $200,000?
Nah, thought not
), or that the Eagles had simply missed the boat. (On that point, is the WB Sydney game a one-off, or have the Bulldogs committed to future games there?)
