The biggest inequality in football, according to former Giants captain

Phil Davis understands the true extent of the struggle players at interstate clubs have to deal with.

The former GWS captain and Adelaide defender was basically on a plane every second weekend throughout his 192 AFL games.

The equalisation of the game has been a topic of conversation across the course of 2024 due to the vast amount of variables that clubs and players face.

Davis was asked what he perceives to be the biggest inequality in the game right now.

“It’s travel,” Davis said on SEN’s Crunch Time.

“Travel will always be the biggest challenge for interstate clubs.”

Davis provided an example of how exhausting travel is for interstate clubs and how it affects their week-to-week activities.

“Clubs fly down and get on a 10:30am flight, they have a full day of travel and have to train,” he added.

“They then play and get on a 10am flight on Sunday morning and won't get to their house until 1pm in the afternoon.

“If (the player) doesn't go to the club Monday, you miss a full day of review, and that review pushes to Tuesday, then you miss training now as well.

“Your training gets impacted by travel or your rest gets impacted, and that's the decision that interstate travel teams will always have to face.”

Davis, who has had a long career outside of Victoria, knows the weekly troubles interstate players face as he himself remembers the difficulties.

“Travel is the most difficult thing in the game,” he said.

“Getting on a plane 14 times a year is exhausting.”

Interstate clubs are rising above the travel disparity this season and currently make up the top three spots on the ladder - Sydney (1st), Brisbane (2nd) and Fremantle (3rd).

The Giants (5th) and Port Adelaide (7th) are also inside the eight ahead of Round 21.