A Tasmanian odyssey: Part one

IT’S ONE of the longest road trips in footy – from Western Australia to Tasmania.

Reigning premiers West Coast travelled more than 3000km for its round-nine match against Hawthorn at Aurora Stadium in Launceston.

The Eagles departed Perth on Thursday, May 24 and returned two days later after spending more than seven hours in the air and countless more preparing for the epic encounter.

On the ground, the Eagles are more than a team of 22 players. There are coaches, fitness experts, medical personnel, support and administration staff. They all travel and assist the team.

afl.com.au’s Mic Cullen had exclusive access to Eagles players and coaches during their journey. His diary is part of our On The Road series, exclusive to afl.com.au

On The Road includes stories, pictures and video from matches played across Australia during Indigenous Round.

Mic Cullen’s West Coast diary is the first in a week-long examination of the nation’s favourite game.

Here's the first of four diary entries he posted over the weekend.

Thursday 11:15am (WST)
THE GEAR arrives at Perth Domestic Terminal, along with its faithful retinue of handlers. It needs a few to escort it, as there's a large van's worth. Hank Gloede, West Coast's equipment manager, says he'll only relax once it's all through the check-in and he's on the plane.

Thursday 12:30pm
Players start to arrive. As usual, Steven Armstrong is the first to appear and then spends a while talking to his aunt, Tania Armstrong, Fox Sports News' Perth journalist.

The rest of the players, coaches and support crew arrive and get checked in. Then it's up to the Qantas Club for a quick bite to eat and relax before the flight. Players and support staff hang down one end, the coaches and match committee are squirreled away up the other, no doubt plotting Hawthorn's downfall.

Media manager Gary Stocks grabs a coffee before boarding: "It's heaps better than the stuff you get once you're on the plane." The voice of experience.

Thursday 1:30pm
Onboard and ready to leave on the special charter flight to Launceston. At first glance it seems to help to be a big bloke or a star midfielder in order to be sitting up front, but closer inspection reveals Judd, Fletcher, Cox, Seaby, Hunter, Glass, Jones, Stenglein, Hansen, Lynch and Selwood.

How do they decide who sits up there? I'll have to find out.

Thursday 2:15pm
It's a 737, so there's not a lot of room for those in cattle class. Chicken with rice and coriander for lunch. Not too bad. The downside of business class – you get fed last.

Beau Waters is the first to wander the length of the plane to stretch the legs – he stops to have a chat and a laugh with the skipper before he heads back.

Thursday 2:30pm
Sure enough, there are fans travelling on the same flight for the purpose. Lunch is over, so the bag from the Eagles shop comes out, along with the textas and jumpers. Even on a plane at an altitude of 10,000m, the boys can't escape the demands of top-level footy. The lack of flat, stable surfaces makes signing autographs a challenge.

Cox and Seaby are up and stretching. Glassy is also up and around – he spends a few minutes talking to a couple of supporters.

Thursday 3:00pm
Glassy goes above and beyond, getting the blokes up front to sign an Eagles flag. Wirra keeps walking up and down, seemingly unable to sit still for long.

Steven Armstrong is collecting signatures for another fan on a Qantas notepad. A couple of the fans have struck it lucky – off to Launceston for business for the weekend, they not only get to see the game on Saturday, but also get a direct flight there and back. Even if it is a 737.

Thursday 3:30pm
Matt Priddis is on the prowl again, so I grab him as he goes past.

"This is my sixth trip. It's a good experience, a chance to get away and do something different," he says.

Is it still a buzz?

"Definitely, just the whole being a part of an AFL club, it's just great. Being away from home is a great opportunity to get closer and get to know the guys a lot more, and you don't have to worry about anything else but footy."

The coach strolls past, so I ask him how long he expects it to take before Priddis is sick of the flights.

"It took me about 14 years, so he should be right for his career," Worsfold said with a laugh. "You just start to get sick of it, and then the season's over, and you freshen up."

Priddis isn't concerned: "I don't think it'll be an issue, because it'll just mean that you're still getting the opportunity to play AFL footy. It's just part of the game. It gives you a bit of variety, so most players enjoy it."

Thursday 4:00pm
Ash Hansen is fast asleep. Coxy is in the front row, so he's stretching by putting his feet up on the bulkhead. Next to the video screen. Nobody is telling him off, which I guess is one of the perks of being the best ruckman in the AFL. And have I mentioned that these 737s are small?

Thursday 4:30pm (or is it now 6:30?)
Plenty of the boys up front are standing and stretching. It's a long flight. No wonder the Hawks are always wanting to play the WA teams in Tassie – the tyranny of distance is your friend if others suffer it.

Wirra can't sit still, he's still constantly walking up and down the aisle, and he says it's not getting any easier as he gets older.

Thursday 7:15pm (AEST)
BUMPY trip into the airport. The plane went down hard but without a bounce, which was unbelievable given the wind. Gusting to 50 knots, apparently.

No airbridges in Launceston so it was out onto the tarmac down the steps and in danger of being blown away.

Coxy was telling Juddy to kick with the wind if he won the toss, but apparently (according to the taxi driver) this is very unusual and it'll be beautiful by game day.

Launceston also doesn't have luggage carousels, so you do it in reverse – the baggage is stationary and the people move around it. The boys cart all the stuff to the bus then head for the hotel.

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.