MCG playing surface hasn’t been the same since the 2006 Commonwealth Games says Brendon Goddard

THE usually pristine MCG playing surface is under attack, with Essendon’s Brendon Goddard saying it hasn’t been the same since the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Goddard’s comments mirrored those of Hawthorn’s Jordan Lewis, who described the home of football’s surface as the worst he’s ever seen it earlier this week.

“In comparison to previous years that we’ve played on it and previous games that we’ve played on it, it wasn’t anywhere where it has been or where it could have been,” Lewis said on Tuesday night’s AFL 360.

Goddard agreed, describing the turf as “really patchy”.

“Telly doesn’t do it justice. When you get out there and look down on it, it’s actually really bare and it’s just mud. It’s just rolled mud essentially.

“I totally agree, it’s the worst I’ve seen it.”

The surface was relaid before Round 15, but since then 10 sporting fixtures have been played on the MCG.

That includes three soccer matches involving AS Roma, Manchester City and Real Madrid which meant that six games were played at the MCG over a nine day period (July 18-26).

But Goddard, who played nine games on the MCG before Melbourne hosted the Commonwealth Games nine years ago and has played 50 matches there since, says that event permanently damaged the playing surface.

“Since the Commonwealth Games I don’t think it’s been the same,” Goddard said.

“After that, it was definitely for a few years a lot harder … it’s never been the same.”

Having played for two sides based at Etihad Stadium, Goddard described how it used to be a lot easier to pull up from games at the MCG due to the softer surface.

But post Commonwealth Games, Goddard says, the way players felt when recovering from matches at the MCG and Etihad Stadium were very similar.

“Etihad have worked it out,” Lewis argued.

“It’s a beautiful surface. Whatever they’ve changed over the last couple of years, they’ve got it right now.”

“It’s still on the firm side,” Goddard said, “but that ground is as good as it’s ever been.”

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said he isn’t sure whether the soccer matches played at the MCG impacted the quality of the surface or not, but trusts the opinions of the players.

“I don’t know whether trying to get the pitch up to speed for the soccer has affected it, but if the players are reporting it, then generally there’s something in it,” Buckley said.

“You don’t make up the fact that your body’s jarring up a bit.”

Lewis has also complained about the difficulty of keeping your feet on the ground, due to the different levels of hardness found in separate areas of the surface.

Players usually wear boots with longer stops on slippery surfaces, but Lewis said that doesn’t necessary solve the problem.

“People say you can wear screw-ins, but when you get to the middle of the ground it’s really hard,” Lewis said.

“If you understand the game these days you run a lot, so to have screw-ins, they’re not reliable on the harder turf.”

AFL Players’ Association CEO Paul Marsh says the surface needs to be inspected to discover how real the concerns are.

“The judgement call needs to be made as to whether it’s dangerous, and then if it is dangerous, it becomes a different matter,” Marsh told SEN.

“If it’s just imperfect, that’s probably another matter.

“We take these issues seriously and I think the industry takes it seriously.”