Park the Bus!

From Melbourne to Newcastle, Newcastle to Perth and Perth to Townsville, it's been a long journey for the players and coaching staff of Melbourne's newest football club.

The A-League fixture saw Heart travel to Newcastle to play the Jets on October 31, then onto Perth on November 3 and finally into North Queensland on November 10.

The club's newly purchased travel bus has been put through an initiation which would cause even Thomas the Tank Engine to reach for the No Doz.

Surely many fridge magnets, novelty plastic road signs and town-branded stubby holders have been purchased on the trip, allowing many of the foreign players to gain an appreciation for the standard of souvenirs in Australia.

I know it may seem like a whinge (and it pretty much is), but this is a ridiculous schedule and could well be the difference between safely qualifying for the top six or narrowly missing out by a point come February.

These three away games have seen the club travel a distance of approximately 9,223 km in just 11 days; an effort that adventurers Burke and Wills would be proud of.

We're lucky to be armed with former Dutch Youth International Rutger Worm who is experienced in travel (having almost missed a UEFA Cup bound flight because he overslept) and Josip Skoko, who travels around 80km from his home in Geelong to training in Bundoora.

But will somebody please spare a thought for Gerald Sibon who is cruelly cramped into a bus seat, painfully craning his neck to avoid the air conditioner which sits hanging from the padded roof. It's no wonder he only has the energy left to convert from the spot!

Jokes aside, most would have expected the travel to impact upon the on field performance, but the players have been able to shake off the deep vein thrombosis and confidently take to the pitch.

A solid win against Newcastle and a draw against Perth have given fans and players a sense of belief that we can take our home game to the widest reaches of this sunburnt country and ultimately claim the points needed to qualify for an inaugural finals appearance.