FREMANTLE'S preparations for Saturday’s qualifying final against the Sydney Swans have been dramatically disrupted with the team’s flight to Sydney cancelled on Thursday night. 

Players were stuck onboard the plane for at least two hours before being told their flight wouldn’t be leaving because of a computer problem.

The team will now fly out at 10am (WST) Friday morning and arrive in the Harbour City at 4.20pm (EST) Friday afternoon – about 18 hours behind schedule.

Coaches have sent the players home to sleep in their own beds, before they return to Perth Airport on Friday morning.

“We experienced an issue with one of the computers in the flight deck, meaning that we needed to cancel the 4pm service," Virgin Australian spokesperson Jacqui Abbott told AFL.com.au.

"As you’ll be aware, there’s very strict curfew requirements into Sydney airport.

"Obviously we are sincerely apologetic for the inconvenience caused and I just want to make sure fans know we’ve done absolutely everything we can."

Virgin Australia said the club was offered "a number of different solutions" including travelling on Thursday night’s ‘red-eye’ overnight service, an offer some Fremantle officials took up. 

The Dockers had their final hit-out for the week at Fremantle Oval on Thursday morning, but the lengthy delay still interferes with their plans.

ANZ Stadium confirmed to AFL.com.au that Fremantle had been booked in for a ‘field walk’ between 10am and 12pm on Friday, where the players could familiarise themselves with the venue.

Fremantle football operations manager Chris Bond said the flight drama was an inconvenience, but not a disaster.

"Our plan of attack is we always train the day we travel. So really, our training and preparation has been done," Bond told Perth radio station 6PR.

"We're not going to lose a training session. It will all be about recovery.

"These things happen. When there's technical difficulties with aircrafts, we're better off making sure safety comes first, which is what's happened,"

The team will now travel by bus to Homebush once they land, with the team hotel located not far from ANZ Stadium.

The Dockers always travel two days before a game interstate but it’s now hoped the players can complete some light recovery work at the hotel on Friday night.

Virgin Australia has been the official airline of the AFL since the 2011 season.