Wharfies make way to the MCG, whatever the price

Fremantle fans are scrambling to reach Melbourne for next Saturday’s AFL grand final, after the Dockers secured a historic second appearance with a comeback win over Sydney on Friday night. Airlines responded by adding dozens of flights between Perth and Melbourne, with Virgin adding 20 flights and nearly 4,000 seats, alongside capacity increases from Qantas and Virgin. But prices are steep: the return fare for most travellers starts around $2,000 and is likely closer to $3,000, with only a handful of direct options under $1,000. The cheapest direct flight found to grand final eve was $825 with Virgin, while the Sunday cheapest was $1,092. Fans and the AFL Fans Association’s Ron Issko criticized the pricing as “gouging.”