AFL players to face tough match-day travel schedule during 2020 season, Patrick Dangerfield responds
EX-AFL stars fear the league’s tough new travel schedule rules will take a heavy toll, including Patrick Dangerfield travelling from Moggs Creek. And the superstar has responded in no uncertain terms.
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Geelong superstar Patrick Dangerfield has vehemently quashed suggestions that the AFL’s new match-day travel rules will affect him.
Dangerfield, who lives nearly two hours from Melbourne Airport in Moggs Creek, could be travelling up to six hours on game day from his home to play at the Gabba or Metricon Stadium.
It comes after triple premiership star Alastair Lynch says clubs will rest some veteran players instead of forcing them to travel on game day before taking the field.
But in a heated response on Twitter the Brownlow medallist made it abundantly clear that he does not care in the slightest about the new rules.
“Couldn’t give a F*** about the travel,” Dangerfield tweeted.
“But thanks for the clickbait tag. Looking forward to the abuse that follows.”
Couldn’t give a F#€k about the travel. But thanks for the clickbait tag. Looking forward to the abuse the abuse that follows ðŸ‘ðŸ»ðŸ‘ðŸ»
— Patrick Dangerfield (@dangerfield35) May 18, 2020
The Herald Sun on Monday revealed AFL players will travel interstate on match-day chartered flights in a significant departure from established league rules, amid a raft of modifications to combat the COVID-19 crisis.
It means players like Geelong captain and AFLPA president Patrick Dangerfield could be travelling for 5-6 hours from Moggs Creek to the Gabba on the morning of Queensland clashes.
Geelong star Cam Mooney says it is a “nightmare” schedule that had the potential to see players “pinging hamstrings”.
The AFL’s determination to limit players from staying in interstate hotel rooms will see the league charter flights that leave on the morning of games.
All AFL clubs have been required to travel to interstate venues the day before games under AFL rules.
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Asked what he would have said to a five or six-hour game-day travel, Lynch replied: “Nah, I am not playing”.
“I was managing health issues towards the end of my career and if we had a long trip to Perth and back I would have the week off,” Lynch said.
“It’s a consideration, no doubt about that. Sitting down for long periods of time is not conductive to footy for guys with bad backs and you would have to get up and keep moving.
“The conditioning and phys ed guys were never too keen for you to sit down too long.
“For guys like Patty (Dangerfield), ideally you wouldn’t like to drive that amount of time but that’s his life balance.”
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Geelong premiership star Cam Mooney said the potential for injury was extreme but clubs had no other choice but to follow AFL rules.
“It would be a nightmare if (Geelong) flew out of Tullamarine. For some guys from Torquay or Patty from Moggs it’s 90 minutes to two hours to the airport, then a flight, jump on a bus and then straight to the ground and play. I can see hamstrings pinging from that.
“I would be surprised if they didn’t fly out of Avalon. It’s a 5am start for Geelong players, so it’s not ideal, but we are not in an ideal world.”
The league hopes to minimise travel times with teams travelling only between Sydney-Melbourne in the first month of the year and Geelong possibly able to charter flights from Avalon Airport.
The AFL’s protocols for players released over the weekend state that players will be in chartered flights with no members of the public.
“All flights to and from matches will be chartered or closed, with a maximum of two Clubs on
any one flight (with seating to be segregated if that is the case). No members of the public will be on your flights,” the rules state.
“The protocols require that where possible, flights will be on game day.”
In some circumstances including flights to and from Perth later in the season clubs might not be able to travel to a venue on game day.
But if border restrictions are released later in the year the league will hope all clubs can play at home venues on a fly-in, fly-out model.
“You’ll be required to meet your teammates and Club staff at your Club, travel by bus to the airport, and pass through the airport efficiently with minimal contact with any public,” the document states.
“Then you’ll go straight to the ground you’re playing at, participate in the match, and return to the airport and home that same day. If accommodation is required, normal hotel style accommodation will be provided with minimal contact with the general public.”