Dockers players and staff reportedly used basins as toilets in flight home from Launceston

With no direct flight option from Launceston to Perth, the Dockers took the chartered flight path after their loss to the Hawks, unaware of the horrors they would endure heading home.

LAUNCESTON, AUSTRALIA – JULY 13: Luke Ryan (left) and Corey Wagner of the Dockers look dejected after a loss during the 2024 AFL Round 18 match between the Hawthorn Hawks and the Fremantle Dockers at the UTAS Stadium on July 13, 2024 in Launceston, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The AFL has expressed its “extreme disappointment” after Fremantle players and staff were reportedly left “to use basins for urination” on an aeroplane following their Round 18 loss to Hawthorn in Tasmania last weekend.

A statement released by the Transport Workers Union on Thursday morning revealed that the union body – which represents the cabin crew at National Jet Express, which provided the charter service from Launceston to Perth – held “deep concern and outrage” at the events, which it says was the result of the plane running out of water shortly after takeoff.

The startling account of what occurred also claimed that aeroplane staff were forced to “manually scoop toilet waste into basins” during the lengthy flight.

“The flight … ran out of water just half an hour into the four-hour flight, resulting in non-functional toilets and an unsanitary and unsafe environment for both cabin crew and passengers,” the TWU said.

Freo suffered a horror journey back from Tasmania. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“This incident posed a significant health and safety risk as cabin crew were reportedly forced to manage the situation by manually scooping toilet waste into basins.

“This unacceptable scenario also led to passengers being compelled to use basins for urination, highlighting a severe breach of basic hygiene standards.”

The company is investigating the incident.

When contacted by this masthead, the AFL said on Thursday that it had been in contact with the company in question to express its distaste at what unfolded.

“The AFL was left extremely disappointed after a charter flight from Launceston to Perth last weekend provided inadequate facilities for players, club staff and airline team members on board,” the league said.

“We have expressed this directly with the charter company and are awaiting the results of their investigation.

“We thank staff and players from the Fremantle Football Club for their understanding and the airline staff on board for their professionalism during a difficult few hours in the air. Once the airline investigation is complete, we will work through next steps with charter company.”

While the AFL facilitates club commercial travel via its partner Virgin Australia, the league for some routes of travel organises charter flights for clubs in order to allow for the shortest transit time possible.

There is no direct flight from Launceston to Perth, hence the charter option provided.

“This situation is utterly unacceptable, and demonstrates a glaring neglect of duty of care towards both our members and the passengers they serve,” TWU WA State Secretary Tim Dawson said on Thursday.

“Our cabin crew members should not be subjected to such hazardous working conditions, and passengers should not have to endure such distressing experiences.”

Simon Garlick, CEO of the Dockers. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Travel has been a bugbear of Western Australian clubs this season, with Fremantle and West Coast determined to mitigate the challenges faced by both long-haul travel and their fixture.

Dockers chief executive Simon Garlick addressed fellow club CEOs in recent days regarding the challenges faced by WA clubs.

“I got a great audience in relation to talking a bit about the inequity and it’s no one’s fault, we’re not sitting here saying that people have purposely done it this way,” Garlick said on SEN on Wednesday night.

“It’s a difficult one to equalise. We’re always going to travel more because we reside so far away from when 10 teams are … however, we think there’s some things that we can do to dilute the disadvantage a little.

“This coming season, Collingwood will have 15 of the last 18 (games) in Victoria, in their home state. Essendon will have 11 weeks straight from round 13 in Melbourne, so they don’t leave their home state.

“The notion of staying in your own bed and not leaving your state for three months is actually hard to comprehend.”

Fremantle is expected to address the plane drama on Thursday.

Originally published as Dockers players and staff reportedly used basins as toilets in flight home from Launceston