COLLINGWOOD'S attempts to have 13 players hit Perth early for Saturday night's qualifying final against West Coast have been set back by two separate flight delays.
However, coach Nathan Buckley has dismissed the notion it would affect those involved.
The group planned on jetting west on Thursday night before the rest of their teammates, who were scheduled to travel on Friday morning, but the group was delayed by more than four hours.
The delayed Pies include captain Scott Pendlebury, Tyson Goldsack, Adam Treloar, Brodie Grundy, Taylor Adams, James Aish, Mason Cox, Travis Varcoe, Tom Langdon, Brayden Sier, Brayden Maynard, Levi Greenwood and Jack Crisp.
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Pendlebury and Langdon instead flew early on Friday in business class, while Jordan De Goey, Steele Sidebottom, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Josh Thomas, Chris Mayne, and emergencies Jack Madgen and Josh Daicos were among those flying later that morning.
Buckley humorously and sarcastically denied the inconvenience would affect the players' preparations.
"Wouldn't have thought so. I had a couple of red lights on the way in as well, so everything seems to be against us," Buckley told reporters.
"We'll see if we can get over it and find a way."
With their original Virgin Australia flight set to depart at 6.15pm AEST, the Pies arrived at Melbourne Airport shortly after 4.30pm before being informed it had been shifted to Friday morning.
It is understood Virgin Australia contacted the AFL to offer the players the opportunity to fly with the rest of the team on Friday. Instead, a number of players opted to move to the later 8.45pm Thursday flight.
As a result of the initial delay, the second flight departed after 10.25pm and was due to arrive into Perth after 2.15am AEST (12.15am AWST).
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Cox posted a photo to social media highlighting the delay while taking in the first quarter of Thursday night's qualifying final between Richmond and Hawthorn.
As the Tigers celebrated post-match, the Pies remained on the tarmac.
A Virgin Australia spokesperson told AFL.com.au the original issue was due to "engineering" requirements, which in turn caused the second flight delay.
