Emails revealed by Nine’s Footy Classified have brought to light correspondence between Port Adelaide and the SCG over issues with the turf nearly three months ago.
It comes after the SCG turf came under heavy scrutiny during the recent clash between Sydney and the Western Bulldogs on Friday, where the Paddington end of the ground had shifting grass that players struggled with all night.
The issue stems from a concert held at the venue in April, that three months later is yet to be rectified.
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And now Nine AFL reporter Damien Barrett has revealed emails from Port Adelaide footy boss Chris Davies to the SCG and the AFL itself slamming the quality of the turf during their match in round six.
Exclusive emails revealed to Footy Classified from Port Adelaide to the SCG. Nine
The first email was sent the day before the game seeking clarity after a captain’s run session that worried players.
Barrett said the response the Power received was simply “lip service”. Davies then followed up with a subsequent email after the game, after players struggled to keep their feet.
That second email, Barrett explains, included “damning statements” about the quality of the playing surface.
Clearly, the turf remains a significant issue as Bulldogs and Sydney players struggled to deal with it 10 weeks later.
One incident during that game worried Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd in particular.
It occurred when Bulldogs flanker Bailey Williams slipped on the turf, with his leg appearing to buckle.
He was fine, but Lloyd said he gasped watching live from the SCG, saying an injury could have led to a lawsuit against the AFL and the venue.
“We thought this incident had lawsuit written all over it,” Lloyd told Nine’s Footy Classified.
The moment Lloyd thought the turf had injured Williams. Fox Footy
“We had our hearts in our mouths thinking ‘this could be an ACL’. I thought of Shaun Rehn when he slipped on a plate in the middle of the ground.”
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Brownlow Medallist Jimmy Bartel remains confused by the AFL’s decision to deem the surface safe to play on.
“I want to know what is actually deemed as dangerous . Lloyd highlighted the Bailey Williams situation and we were so fortunate he didn’t do his knee,” Bartel said.
“Tell us what is dangerous, because if you don’t think that’s dangerous tell us what is.”
Fremantle will play Sydney at the SCG this weekend, and Dockers coach Justin Longmuir is concerned about the surface.
“The moment my brain goes to ‘that’s unsafe for players’, I have a concern. And I went there on Friday night. I thought at times it was unsafe to play on,” Longmuir said on Sunday.
“We can’t put players out there and risk their safety.”
