The competition’s surprise packet will take a team bus to Portland on Saturday for its second semi-final against reigning premier Koroit.

Magpies coach Phil Carse said the Magpies, coming off a 40-point qualifying final win over Port Fairy, would stop during their two-hour trek for a stretch.

The players will leave Camperdown at 9.30am, giving them ample time to warm-up ahead of the 2.10pm bounce down at Hanlon Park.

“At the end of the day, it is what it is,” Carse said.

“It (the venue choice) is out of our control. The majority of the boys will go down on the bus so they don’t have to worry about travel.

“We play there each year so we’re used to the road trip and have had some wins in Portland so we know we play the oval well.”

Carse said the Magpies, who finished the home-and-away season in third, were used to the travel-factor.

“We are the furthest east team in the competition so to play most teams we’re travelling an hour or so, to Warrnambool, Port Fairy or Koroit,” he said.

“We often do a team bus to Portland and Hamilton, it’s pretty standard.”

Camperdown has lost its two matches to Koroit in 2018 but Carse said morale was high.

“There’s a really good feeling in the group at the moment, there’s a real hope and belief,” he said.