AFL News

AFL to alleviate travelling “toll” WA teams face

“Understanding the toll the travel has on those teams is a key factor in the composition in the fixture.”

Published by
Aidan Cellini

The AFL is working on many cylinders to continue its competitive balance review, with fixturing a major component of its ongoing assignments.

The Western Australian sides - Fremantle and West Coast - have made it clear to the league's powerbrokers of the "toll" they face when travelling across the country more often than not.

A report earlier in the year indicated that the teams from out west were on 11 flights, totalling to over 73,000 km travelled throughout 2024, and at times, were forced to stay overnight due to the late-night fixturing away from home.

AFL boss Andrew Dillon said the league will look at ways to alleviate some of the troubles the Dockers and Eagles face, looking to a fairer way of scheduling in 2025.

"That's something we are looking at, in particular what we can do with the Western Australian teams," Dillon said on SEN.

"And the teams that travel more than others but it won't be anything you necessarily see in the fixture.

"Even making sure when we fixture a Western Australian team, making sure that they can get out that night or maybe less games in Tasmania.

"Understanding the toll the travel has on those teams is a key factor in the composition in the fixture."

Another thing that is being considered by Dillon and his team is granting Fremantle and West Coast an extra home fixture in the 23-game season.

Former Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett - who was replaced by Don Pyke - will work part-time for the league as its new “executive manager of clubs”, The West Australian.

Published by
Aidan Cellini