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The AFL travel myth

10th July, 2012
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10th July, 2012
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If you listen to the pre game shows on the ABC radio station in Perth before an Eagles or Dockers game you will be lead to believe that they are getting a raw deal.

Callers will often state that the Western Australian teams are being treated unfairly because they have to travel so often.

There is a belief that this puts them at a significant disadvantage, that if they could stay home more often then they would be more successful.

What will follow is an analysis of teams from Melbourne and interstate, the distance they have to travel and average regular season finishing positions. There is also a brief discussion to show West Australian fans that there are far worse sports in the world in terms of travel.

The analysis was conducted as follows.

The kilometers travelled have been calculated using a distance calculator (http://www.geobytes.com/CityDistanceTool.htm?loadpage)
that calculates the strait line gap between each city.

The distances were based on round trips assuming that each team flew home after each game. For example a round trip to Hobart is 6,034 kilometers.

Geelong was included as part of Melbourne, I understand that you are separate entity but for this analysis you mas as well be the same place! If trips were repeated then these numbers were calculated together. All other teams located outside of Melbourne are declared as interstate.

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The West Coast Eagles comparison with Collingwood is based on both teams regular season finishing positions from 1987
– 2011. 1987 was the year the Eagles first played in the AFL.

The comparison of the interstate v Melbourne based sides was conducted over a 10-year period from 2001 – 2011.

The conspiracy theory is that the footy Gods and administrators favor Collingwood and let them stay at home while rarely forcing them to travel interstate. This is seen to give them an advantage over interstate teams as they play at the same venue, in the same city, which somehow makes them fresher and more dominant. Collingwood travelled a mere 12,652km in 2011 while the Eagles clocked up a larger sum of 54,526km.

City

Collingwood
Travel (km)

Eagles
Travel (km)

Adelaide

1,308

8,544

Hobart

0

6,034

Melbourne

0

32,724

Brisbane

0

7,224

Sydney

1,426

0

Gold
Coast

2,694

0

Perth

5,454

0

Total

9,704

54,526

This shows an obvious disparity in total travel but what may shock you is the teams average finishing position since the Eagles entered the AFL.

West
Coast Eagles

Collingwood

Average
regular season position

6.72

7.72

Your eyes do not deceive you. The team that travels the furthest during the regular season, the Eagles, finishes an average of 1 position higher on the ladder than the team that supposedly travels the least.

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If this theory that the West Coast teams were at a distinct disadvantage because they have to travel so often then surely other interstate teams would suffer as well, but to a lesser degree. The Melbourne teams should have a significantly better winning record or finish higher on the table than their travelling foe, right?

However, this is not the case. It is the opposite!

Melbourne Teams
Average Regular Season Position

8.95

Interstate
Average Regular Season Position

7.42

From 2001 – 2011 interstate teams have finished an overall average of 1.5 positions better than the Melbourne teams.

This helps to prove the point but from a practical point of view the affect of travel being a non-event in the AFL is easily realised.

AFL sides get 6-7 days rest between each of their games, which allows teams to fly to the other side of the country and have time to shake off the effects of 4 hours of travel and the time difference of 2-3 hours.

The simple fact of the matter is the distances, time zones and time travelled for teams inside Australia is irrelevant. Think back to when you fly to anywhere else in the country, do you feel jetlagged, under the weather, disorientated? I think not.

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Other sports have more trying distances too travel, Rugby Union and Basketball come to mind.

The Wellington Hurricanes started their 2012 Super Rugby season with games in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Perth then Wellington, in 4 weeks, with no break. That’s 3 countries with time differences of 10, 6 and 4 hours.

The NBA is even more extreme where games and travel is more regular and sporadic. Here is the Boston Celtics schedule for March 2012.

Boston
Celtics

Mar-12

Opponent

City

Distance
km

Fri
02

vs
New Jersey

Boston

0

Sun 04

vs
New York

Boston

0

Tue 06

vs
Houston

Boston

0

Wed 07

@ Philadelphia

Philidelphia

440

Fri 09

vs
Portland

Boston

440

Sun 11

@ LA Lakers

LA

4,176

Mon 12

@ LA Clippers

LA

0

Wed 14

@ Golden State

Oakland

549

Fri 16

@ Sacramento

Sacramento

109

Sat 17

@ Denver

Denver

1,424

Mon 19

@ Atlanta

Atlanta

1,952

Thu 22

@ Milwaukee

Milwaukee

1,075

Fri 23

@ Philadelphia

Philidelphia

1,116

Sun 25

vs
Washington

Boston

440

Mon 26

@ Charlotte

Charlotte

1,160

Wed 28

vs
Utah

Boston

1,160

Fri 30

@ Minnesota

Minneapolis

1,823

Total
Games

17

Total
km

15,864

As you can see not only did they play 17 games in 28 days they travelled to 9 different cities for a monthly odometer reading of 15,864 kilometers. At one point they played a game in Sacramento, flew 1,400km to Denver that night and played the following day, now that’s travel son!

The main issue here is that if your team is underperforming in the AFL it is easy to find excuses. The unfair travel or other conspiracy theories are a far simpler scapegoat to lead to the slaughterhouse, much easier than fighting with reality.

The simple fact is, as proven above, travel is not a factor in the AFL due to the short distances, and marginal differences in time zones coupled with extended recovery periods.

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I hope West Australian and other interstate fans can now believe that travel does not have a negative effect on their team. Administration, player exodus and general sporting fluctuations are the things that influence your club the most.

There is no conspiracy or disadvantage. 

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