Aesthetically, ANZ Stadium is a beauty. Its unique stature, broad dimensions and almost intimidating atmosphere make it one of the best multi-purpose sports venues in the country.
From a spectator’s viewpoint, it’s always a great spectacle – either live or on television. However, AFL players and officials can’t say the same.
When Australian Rules ventures out to Olympic Park, the stadium drops the ball.
In the eyes of the footy community, the venue’s reputation is poor. And footy clubs appear to be sick of it.
ANZ Stadium has hosted two AFL games this season. In the aftermath of both of those matches, the ground has come under criticism.
During the first quarter of Collingwood’s six-point victory over Sydney on Saturday night, Swans co-captain Jarrad McVeigh claimed he found three ‘metal stakes’ on the venue’s turf.
These pegs were used to attach grow mats to help the playing surface in the days leading up to the match. They were handed to trainers throughout the term and ground officials investigated the surface during the quarter-time break.
In recent days, both the AFL and stadium officials have conducted investigations into McVeigh’s claims.
Yesterday, ground management confirmed three 10 centimetre-long, u-shaped pegs with sharp ends were lying on the ground during the first term.
How do three, dangerous metal pegs get left on an AFL field?
Can you imagine the uproar if high-profile players such as Adam Goodes, Dane Swan, Ryan O’Keefe or Dale Thomas had fallen headfirst onto the rods and suffered an injury?
In fact, imagine if any player had succumbed to the stakes. There would be consequences.
However, it’s not just metal that’s been hanging loose on ANZ Stadium in recent years.
The turf itself is often very loose.
As his team’s delegate, Jude Bolton sent a letter to the AFL Players’ Association, voicing his concern on ANZ Stadium’s surface after Sydney’s match against Essendon earlier this season.
There have been reports that Magpies’ skipper Nick Maxwell was also unhappy with the condition of the ground after Saturday night’s match.
Both men complained about the ground’s softness and elasticity.
Due to the shifting surface, players seemed to slip and they struggled to keep their balance throughout the match. They were also unable to change direction efficiently – a key component when playing AFL.
Bolton and Maxwell aren’t the first players to complain about the arena’s surface. And the way things are heading, they won’t be the last.
In 2010, Sydney signed a long-term contract with ANZ Stadium, agreeing to play three games per season at the venue until 2016.
According to club chairman, Richard Colless, the agreement was ‘one of the most important strategic decisions that has occurred since South Melbourne relocated to Sydney’. I’m not too sure if AFL players would agree with that statement right now.
Understandably, the NRL receives top priority from the stadium. It deserves it too, with two clubs in Canterbury and South Sydney currently calling it home. An NRL game occurs almost weekly there.
NRL players and officials have not made any recent complaints, with the showcase State of Origin II being played just a week ago to few concerns.
But if ANZ Stadium wants to continue to host AFL games, it needs to improve the surface. Otherwise it’ll lose customers.
By the time the Swans and Pies had completed their match on Saturday night, eight football games had been completed at the venue in 11 days.
With the majority of those being rugby league games, no wonder the surface struggled to hold up.
Surely this kind of situation is preventable. With thorough communication and some clever fixturing from all the major Australian codes, predicaments like these can be avoided.
Sydney is locked in for three games per season until 2016 and Greater Western Sydney will obviously play matches there too when it enters the competition in nine months’ time.
At the moment, the Swans and the AFL seem to be treated like second-class citizens by ANZ Stadium. Hopefully the ground’s management rectify the surface sooner rather than later.
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