By Andrew Wu and Danny Russell
Sydney chairman Andrew Pridham has joined some of the game’s greats to slam the standard of the SCG’s playing surface as “unacceptable”.
Pridham relayed his concerns to AFL boss Andrew Dillon in the hours after Friday night’s game between the Swans and the Western Bulldogs, which was marred by players from both sides slipping over and having little confidence in keeping their feet.
The SCG playing surface has come under massive scrutiny after the Swans’ clash with the Western Bulldogs.Credit: AFL Photos
“I’m extremely disappointed with the standard of the turf. It’s unacceptable, and we’re in discussions with Venues NSW about it,” Pridham told this masthead.
“We’re hopeful we can work together collaboratively to resolve it.”
The Swans have long been frustrated with stadium management over the quality of the playing surface, particularly the cricket wicket, which becomes slippery when wet.
But concerns are now focused on the grass at the Paddington End of the ground, which has not recovered after the staging of an Andrea Bocelli concert on April 3.
That area of the field, on the northern end of the ground, is partly shielded from direct sunlight by the Bradman Stand during the winter months.
SCG curator Adam Lewis told 3AW the ground had been fine when the Swans trained during the week.
Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli performed in Sydney in April. Credit: AP
“There were no concerns at all,” Lewis said. “The boys spoke to the grounds manager before the match, and there were no concerns. The Swans have trained on the field this week, and there haven’t been any concerns at all.
“We just think it’s the heavy dew that has been coming in on the last couple of nights, keeping the top of that surface wetter than we would like.”
Dillon was on the phone first thing Saturday morning seeking an explanation for the substandard surface, speaking with the chair of Venues NSW David Gallop, which runs the SCG.
The AFL will also send a turf expert to Sydney this week to ensure another surface debacle does not unfold for the Swans’ coming clash against Fremantle on Sunday, July 6.
Lewis said he was confident the ground would be ready for that match, despite the forecast for up to 172 millimetres of rain in the next seven days. But Dean Cox’s men may have to train elsewhere.
“We might have to remove all activities until the next game just so we can get into that northern end, try and get some more seed into it, some heat mats down and some grow lights so we’re all ready to go for the next game,” Lewis said.
Bailey Williams struggles to keep his feet.Credit: Channel Seven
“We’ll do all our best this week. We’ll make sure we get the field as best we can for the next game.”
One heart-stopping moment happened during the third term when Bulldog star Bailey Williams’s legs buckled awkwardly on the shifting ground as he chased after the ball.
Another glaring example happened when speedster Nick Blakey slipped over as he tried to take off on a customary run at a crucial stage of the last quarter.
The Bulldogs won a tense contest by nine points to mark captain Marcus Bontempelli’s 250th game.
Brownlow medallist and geelong premiership star Jimmy Bartel slammed the surface as unacceptable.
Marcus Bontempelli of the Bulldogs celebrates a goal in game 250.Credit: Getty Images
“I’ve genuinely got concern,” he told 3AW after the match. “When I saw Bailey Williams charging out for the footy and went to change direction and [slipped], that had ACL written all over it.
“As we know, it would have to take a star to get hurt to do anything.
“It shouldn’t matter who it is but could you only imagine of Isaac Heeney or Chad Warner or [Sam] Darcy or Bont [Marcus Bontempelli] went down with an injury? What would we be saying?
“There’s no way you could tick that off [the surface]. Guys have got studded footwear in and if they decided to change direction, they were gone.”
Bartel said the clubs and the AFL “got lucky” that no player suffered a serious injury.
Triple premiership Lion Jonathan Brown questioned whether the Friday night match should have been allowed to go ahead.
“This is as bad as I have seen in years,” Brown told Fox Footy. “I remember playing on the early [Marvel Stadium] surface, and that was a sandpit, but this is shocking.
“It’s disgraceful management to let the ground get to this. It’s a shame.”
Venues NSW has been contacted for comment.
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