Dockers diehards take epic 3000km bus road trip to Melbourne for AFL Grand Final glory

While Highway to Hell might be the soundtrack for a group of diehard Dockers supporters epic 3,000km road trip across the Nullarbor, they’re confident they’re on their own highway to heavenly premiership glory.

With airfares skyrocketing and Perth-to-Melbourne flights completely booked out for Grand Final week, ten ultimate fans have taken matters into their own hands.

At 5pm on Monday, a fully decked-out purple sleeper bus will roll out of Fremantle to begin the massive interstate journey.

The bus — dubbed The Longmuir Coach — carries a star-studded list of locals, including former Fremantle small forward and 2014 All-Australian Hayden Ballantyne alongside ex-Docker Brock O’Brien.

Passenger Phil Robbins shared the cheeky history behind the iconic rig, revealing it wasn’t always named after current senior coach Justin Longmuir.

“It was originally The Ross Lion Coach. We bought the coach in 2015 when the Dockers were minor premiers, and we thought we’d be going to the MCG again, but we got knocked out and had to change the name,” Mr Robbins said.

“We will drive nonstop, we’ve got heaps of drivers so we all chip in,” Mr Robbins said.

“Every car that goes past us toots the horn, it’s good. We will play a lot of Dockers songs and watch a lot of movies, play some cards and drink some beer. I reckon this is the best way to get there.”

Former fan-favourite Ballantyne isn’t just along for the ride — he’s taking his turn behind the wheel.

“36 hours of driving, we will see how fast I can get this big girl going! I’ve got my HR license now, so I’ll be testing the accelerator,” he said.

“Super proud of the playing group and coaching group from the club, to get to a grand final is a huge achievement.”

When asked whether spending 36 hours on a bus beat taking a flight, the Dockers legend didn’t hide his feelings.

“I had a seat at the pointy end of the plane going over Thursday, but I’ve got a bed in here, so it’s not too bad.

“I’ll get bored after the first hour and start giving shit to everyone. So yeah, we’ll see how it goes for them, but we will have some fun.