Geelong senior coach Chris Scott is the latest member of the AFL community to call into question the viability of the SCG's playing surface, questioning the stark contrast between the playing surface of the outfield and centre square in the Cats' 43-point win over the Swans.
Scott was seen examining the rough surface pre-game and shaking his head, while players appeared hesitant to dive for loose balls in the midfield due to its hard nature. In the end, Geelong avoided any injury concerns coming from the section of the playing surface.
However, Scott made sure his feelings were known, revealing his frustrations after being quizzed in the post-match press conference by likening the area to a cricket pitch in Mumbai.
"The actual surface looks beautiful, the grass is quite soft," Scott said.
"I know there has been a lot of rain up here, but it's the contrast between a quite soft area outside the centre square and the pretty rock-hard centre wicket area. That's just not conducive to AFL football.
"The strange part with so much rain is that [the square is] covered all the time, and you've got this baked [surface]. It looked like Mumbai out there.
"That's for them to work through. But my position would be, if you think that's optimal for AFL football, you don't understand what's optimal for AFL football."
Scott did reveal the Cats were anticipating having to manage the strange mismatch of surfaces, noting the "centre wicket" was covered during their planned training session on Saturday.
"I wasn't that worried [about the centre] because it's exactly what we expected," Scott said.
"We rocked up here yesterday and the centre wicket's covered. Not sure there's a point having a training session the day before when the pitch is covered."
Scott isn't the first to complain about the conditions of the SCG. Following the Swans-Bulldogs clash at the venue in Round 16, many pundits were alarmed by the slippery nature of the field as several players struggled to keep their feet. The ease with which sections of the turf could be ripped up also caused concern, with Bulldogs defender Bailey Williams having his foot caught in the turf at one point.
Fremantle senior coach Justin Longmuir called the ground “unsafe” following the fixture, highlighting the Williams incident as a potential reason for the SCG to stop hosting games until the issue was resolved.
"I watched the game on Friday night, and we'll be led by the AFL, but the moment my brain goes to 'that's unsafe for players', I have a concern," Longmuir said.
“I thought it was a bit unsafe, especially down the left-hand side. I think the Bailey Williams one, we just can't put players out there and risk their safety if the ground's not right.”
Scott's comments add to a recent trend of AFL playing surfaces being questioned by coaches, with Ross Lyon criticising Marvel Stadium's decision to leave the roof open while rain passed before the Saints-Bombers clash on Friday night, impacting the conditions of the ground.
