Preparing for another marathon journey across the country and on to Wellington, Perth coach David Mitchell has lifted the lid on the extraordinary toll travel takes on his side.
The Glory will either be in the air, at airport terminals or on the road for around 15 hours this week as they prepare to take on the Phoenix in Sunday’s do-or-die 4 v 5 semi-final at a sold-out Westpac Stadium.
The match brings together the teams with the two worst away records in the league which, according to Mitchell, is no coincidence.
“It’s no secret Wellington and us have the worst away record because we do most of the travelling,” he told Sportal.
“But it’s not just the flying on a plane. People think you get on a plane, fly there and get off.”
“But it’s the staying in different hotels, missing flights, flights delayed, training venues that keep changing because it’s summer and there are no football fields available.”
“There are so many different aspects to the travel. Time difference is another one.”
“Wellington is a five-hour time difference. At 12 o’clock Perth time it’s five in the morning in Wellington and our boys are ordering club sandwiches.”
“You want to go a couple of days early but that’s not always possible with tight budgets.”
“The travel’s an impact. It’s not easy.”
Mitchell believes the travel impost – due to an uneven draw – cost Perth fourth place and a home semi-final.
He argues – as he did at the start of the season – that Glory should not have been handed 13 home games and 14 away matches two years running.
“The significance of what I was saying at the start of the year about the draw is now plain to see,” he said.
“We travel more. Why have we got to be away all the time?”
“They should have switched it. Every year it should change.”
“That should have been looked at. We win one more game at home and we run fourth instead of fifth.”
But Mitchell insists he will not use Perth’s arduous itinerary as an excuse should they fall to Wellington.
The Phoenix are undefeated at Westpac Stadium this season but the Glory boss sees no need to fear them.
He believes his players will feed off their hostile atmosphere in what is the first appearance in the A-League finals for both clubs.
It’s been a long time coming for Glory – the pin-up club of the former NSL – and Mitchell is desperate for the run to continue.
“We’re going there in good form. There will be 20,000 there so it will be a great occasion for our players and we’re going to give it our best shot,” he declared.
“It’s a daunting task but we’re confident enough we can get a result.”
“It was very important for us to get in the finals and regenerate the club.”
“It will be a pity if we get knocked out at the first hurdle because people will say ‘what was that all about? One game and you’re out’.”
