'Blown out of proportion': SCG curator defends surface 'nightmare'

SCG head curator Adam Lewis has fired up over the 'ill-informed pile-on' his staff have been subjected to in the wake of the surface controversy from the Swans-Bulldogs match last weekend.

Addressing media on Friday morning, Lewis admitted it had been a "rough week" for his staff, but blamed the turf's poor recovery from an Andrea Bocelli concert in early April on a combination of heavy rain and the new Bradman and Noble stands blocking sunlight.

He said the situation on Friday night was exacerbated by a particularly heavy dew.

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"It's been a very tough week for me and my staff. I think it's been over the top, I really think it's been blown out of proportion," Lewis said.

"Not just for me – I can handle it. But (I've) got a young team that set a really high standard, and they take pride in where they work at the SCG, and they're putting in 110 per cent.

"The ill-informed information that's been piled on, on social media, it's unjust and it's not good. These guys have got to understand, my guys are humans and they don't need to be bashed ... (a lot) of experts out there that are throwing their two bob in."

Jonathan Brown said in commentary for Fox Footy the surface was "as bad has (he had) seen in years, and questioned the safety of the conditions.

"I remember playing early on the (Docklands stadium) surface – and that was a sandpit – but this is shocking," he said.

After the match, calls grew for the Swans' clash with the Dockers on Sunday to be moved, potentially to GWS home ground at Homebush.

Nine's Footy Classified last Monday night broadcast emails sent from Power bosses to the AFL outlining concerns over the surface following their clash with the Swans in round six. That was the first game to be played on the ground after the April 3 concert.

Lewis said the negative commentary on social media was "definitely our worst nightmare", but declared there was "never any chance" Sunday's game would be shifted.

"We're preparing the field the best we can, and as soon as we see that, our hearts sink," he said.

"(The) first thing we do is we turn off commentary because we know they're just trying to create a story.

"Look, the grass did take when we relayed after the concert, but the problem we've had in Sydney is that the weather we've had has been unprecedented. And that end of the ground, we have the northern grandstand, which creates a lot of shade in that area.

"So we've been trying to do our best with what we've got, working with the weather to try and bring the ground as quickly as we can."

Ground staff have had sun lamps parked at the Paddington end for much of this week. The Swans also moved training this week to Tramway Oval across the road to reduce stress on the surface, although both teams are expected to carry out their captain's runs on Saturday on the SCG.

Lewis said he was hoping both clubs would give feedback from this weekend's matches to assist the team further.

"We want both teams to come out and give the field a really good session, and then we'll take back anything they've got to say and move forward from there," he said.

"The Swans have been great. They're working with us, moving across to Tramway, and hopefully we'll bring them back in. We've been able to get our grow lights out and give the grass the best chance it's got for improving."

He said he wasn't expected any further issues from the turf in Sunday afternoon's clash.

"We're very confident that it will hold up. We've had independent testing done as well (as) our own testing. We're lucky the AFL have sent up their testing as well ... we've passed with flying colours.

"We're really looking forward to Sunday. It's a day game, the weather's looking great for the next three days, so we're really looking forward to a packed house and a great game."