{"id":29723,"date":"2017-05-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-05-09T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.fiveaa.com.au\/uncategorized\/legend-s-giant-swipe-at-afl-s-china-trip-but-kochie-s-still-upbeat\/"},"modified":"2017-05-09T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2017-05-09T00:00:00","slug":"legend-s-giant-swipe-at-afl-s-china-trip-but-kochie-s-still-upbeat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms.fiveaa.com.au\/show\/legend-s-giant-swipe-at-afl-s-china-trip-but-kochie-s-still-upbeat\/","title":{"rendered":"Legend\u2019s giant swipe at AFL\u2019s China trip — but Kochie\u2019s still upbeat"},"content":{"rendered":"

David Koch remains upbeat about Port Adelaide\u2019s China game against the Gold Coast this weekend despite the latest big name to take a crack at the game\u2019s logistics.<\/h3>\n

Earlier in the week Suns coach Rodney Eade aired his concerns about the toll the travel would take on his players:<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the time we leave here, catch a bus to Brisbane and be there a couple of hours early, it\u2019ll be about 20 hours, 21 hours by the time we get there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot many players are in business and exit rows and that sort of thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s probably more my concern, the preparation of the players, and then coming back as well even though we\u2019ve got the bye next week.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Premiership coach Paul Roos backed Eade, saying the Suns situation was \u201cabsolutely staggering\u201d:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI cannot believe that you\u2019re going to be asked to fly that distance and expected to be a professional athlete and play, and fly economy.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the very nature of what it is called, we have players going to do their business in another country, so by the very nature of what it\u2019s called, it\u2019s called business class\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cI cannot believe… we\u2019re asking these players to fly over there and perform at their best. It\u2019s ridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n