Fremantle Dockers fans making the 3000km journey east to Melbourne ahead of Saturday’s AFL grand final have painted the Nullarbor border town of Eucla purple, following a local request.

Eucla Motel manager Rasa Patupis made the call-out on a Perth radio station on Tuesday morning after the town’s closest grocery store — 700km way in Norseman — ran out of purple decorations.

Ms Patupis told the Kalgoorlie Miner on Wednesday the Leeuwin Way Whale in the Eucla Roadhouse car park was one of the first things to be decorated by fans passing through.

Diehard Dockers fans put up flags in the whale’s fin and spout, which have been seen proudly billowing in the Southern Ocean wind just off Eyre Highway near the South Australian border.

“They started coming through yesterday just after lunchtime,” Ms Patupis said.

“We had the whale decorated through the night with some Dockers flags, so obviously people are pushing through.”

Ms Patupis said it had been great to see the flags and notes of support left in her town.

“There’s just been really good energy. Going on the purple wave, I call it,” she said.

The motel manager advised any fans still on the road to drive carefully, with the Nullarbor being one of the most hazardous stretches of road in Australia.

“We don’t want to have any disasters. Just stay safe and be mindful and kind on the road,” Ms Patupis said.