Injury fear for flying veterans
TRIPLE premiership star Alastair Lynch says clubs will rest some veteran players instead of forcing them to travel as many as six hours on game day before taking the field.
News Corp yesterday revealed that AFL players will travel interstate on match-day chartered flights in a significant departure from established league rules.
It means players such as 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 said last night it was a “nightmare” schedule that had the potential to see players “pinging hamstrings”.
The AFL’s determination to limit players staying in interstate hotels will see the league charter flights that leave on the morning of games. All clubs have been required to travel to interstate venues the day before games under AFL rules.
But it means players such as Dangerfield will have a significant travel burden on gameday. He would need to leave his home three hours before catching a plane, take a twohour plane trip to destinations including Queensland then spend another hour getting to Metricon Stadium or the Gabba.
Asked what he would have said to a five or six-hour gameday 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.”