Time factor adds to tyranny of distance
The Fremantle Dockers have clocked up more than 56,500km this season to get to Saturday night's preliminary final against the Sydney Swans - the most of any AFL team.
By comparison - and highlighting the great disparity in travel between AFL clubs - the Swans will have clocked up just 25,000km.
The numbers are in stark contrast to Melbourne clubs during the home and away season, with Collingwood and Carlton travelling just 13,700km.
The Dockers just pipped West Coast for the most travelling. The Eagles chalked up 55,288km.
Compounding the tyranny of distance is the significant impact of time zone changes on the players.
Most Eastern States clubs' trips are either in the same time zone or cross the half-hour difference to Adelaide but the Eagles and Dockers lose or gain 1 1/2 or two hours.
A James Cook University study into the effects of air travel on Australian rugby league players found short-haul flights without crossing time zones did not appear to affect elite players negatively.
It found short trips might cause fatigue but the players were able to perform strength and power tasks without negative effects.
A report on British website Peak Performance Online cited the deleterious effect of air travel on athletes, noting a two-hour time difference affected performance.
For the past two years, the Dockers have adopted a strategy of travelling earlier to games on the east coast.
Usually for a Saturday match in Melbourne, players train on Thursday morning, have a recovery session before lunch and catch an afternoon flight to Melbourne.
On Friday, the players do light swimming work-outs at a St Kilda pool and in Port Philip Bay.
For the flight, Virgin Australia typically helps out by giving players seats with more leg room.
Players wear "HumidiFlyer" masks on flights to reduce dehydration and drink plenty of water.
