‘Blown out of proportion’: SCG curator hits back at criticism after turf debacle

SCG curator Adam Lewis has launched an emotional defence of his ground staff after the worst week of his career, calling out the ‘ill-informed’ criticism that followed the Swans-Bulldogs turf debacle.

SCG curator Adam Lewis has called out the “pile on” his team has received following the poor condition of the turf at the Paddington End during last week’s Swans-Bulldogs game.

The controversy began after players from both sides struggled to keep their footing at the end of the ground where the Andrea Bocelli concert took place in early April. The conditions were exacerbated by wet weather in Sydney and a combination of dew on the surface.

Despite suggestions that this Sunday’s game against Fremantle might be moved as a result of the surface, Lewis and his team always remained extremely confident that the match would take place as scheduled.

However, throughout the week, Lewis and his fellow ground staff have been subject to intense scrutiny, particularly from fans and commentators outside of Sydney. With many younger members in his team, Lewis took the opportunity to address both the state of the grass and the “ill-informed” dialogue surrounding the SCG surface.

The SCG curator has come to the defence of his grounds staff.

“It’s been a very tough week for me and my staff,” Lewis said. “I think it’s been over the top, I really think it’s been blown out of proportion.

“Not just for me, I can handle it. But for my team, I’ve got a young team that set a really high standard, and they take pride in where they work at the SCG, and they’re putting in 110 per cent.

“The ill-informed information that’s been piled on, on social media, it’s just unjust and it’s not good. These guys have got to understand, my guys are humans and they don’t need to be bashed.

“Just all the experts out there that are throwing their two bob in. When they come across and say, ‘Oh, the game could be moved’ and stuff, there was never any realistic chance of that. There was never any chance of the game being moved, not at all.”

Lewis also said it is the worst criticism he can remember receiving in his time as SCG curator.

Venues NSW and Lewis worked together to bring extra ground staff in during the week to help rectify the situation. The Swans also relocated their training to Tramway Oval to allow the ground time to properly prepare, a move which will be reassessed week-by-week.

The SCG being treated with heat lamps to rectify the turf issues. Picture: Jack Formosa/Sydney Swans Media

Lewis believed the issues stemmed from a combination of record rainfall in Sydney and the new Bradman and Noble stands blocking sunlight from the northern end of the ground. But the scenes from last Friday are ones that he desperately doesn’t want to be repeated.

“Oh, it’s definitely our worst nightmare,” Lewis said. “We’re preparing the field the best we can, and as soon as we see that, our hearts sink.

“(The) first thing we do is we turn off commentary because we know that they’re just trying to create a story.

“Look, the grass did take when we relayed after the concert, but the problem we’ve had in Sydney is that the weather we’ve had has been unprecedented. And that end of the ground, we have the northern grandstand, which creates a lot of shade in that area.

“So we’ve been trying to do our best with what we’ve got, working with the weather to try and bring the ground as quickly as we can.”

Both the Swans and Dockers will complete their captain’s run at the SCG on Saturday, with Lewis looking forward to the teams getting the chance to test out their hard work before Sunday’s game.

“We want both teams to come out and give the field a really good session,” Lewis said. “And then we’ll take back anything they’ve got to say and move forward from there.

“The Swans have been great. They’re working with us, moving across to Tramway, and hopefully we’ll bring them back in. We’ve been able to get our grow lights out and give the grass the best chance it’s got for improving.

“We’re very confident that it will hold up. We’ve had independent testing done as well, with our own testing, and we’re lucky the AFL have sent up their testing as well. And, we’ve passed with flying colours.

“We’re really looking forward to Sunday. It’s a day game. The weather’s looking great for the next three days. So, we’re really looking forward to a packed house and a great game.”

Originally published as ‘Blown out of proportion’: SCG curator hits back at criticism after turf debacle