SCG curator hits out at ‘ill-informed' critics of surface amid sad fallout for ground staff
The state of the ground was a massive topic after several players slipped on the surface at the Paddington End during last Friday's clash between Sydney and the Western Bulldogs.
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Lewis thanked the Swans for moving their training sessions this week to Tramway Oval, across the road from the SCG, and said extra staff had worked last weekend with grow lamps used on the ground for up to 22 hours a day.
While Sydney was lashed by a rain bomb on Tuesday, Lewis said the SCG had drained really well and was very confident the surface would hold up for Sunday's match between Sydney and Fremantle.
'We had independent testing done as well with our own testing and we're lucky the AFL have sent up their testing as well and we've passed with flying colours,' Lewis said at the SCG on Friday.
Players had slipped over in other games earlier in the season, but Lewis said it was the volume of rain in recent times that had caused problems rather than the new turf laid after the Andrea Bocelli concert on April 3.
'The grass did take when we relaid after the concert, but the problem we've had in Sydney is that the weather that we've had has been unpredicted,' Lewis said.
'The amount of rainfall that we've had has broken records and that end of the ground we have the northern grandstand, it creates a lot of shade in that area.'
Lewis said there was never any chance Sunday's game would be moved from the SCG as some had suggested, but acknowledged it had been a tough week for him and his staff.
He said it was his worst nightmare watching players losing their footing last Friday.
'We're preparing the field the best we can and as soon as we see that our hearts sink,' Lewis said.
'The first thing we do is turn off commentary because we know that they are just trying to create a story, but it hits hard.
'Look, I think its (commentary) been over the top, I really think it's been blown out of proportion, not just for me, I can handle it, but for my team.
'I've got a young team that's set a really high standard and they take pride in where they work at the SCG and they are putting in 110 per cent.
'And the ill-informed information that's been piled on in social media, it's just unjust and it's not good.
'These guys have got to understand my guys are humans and they don't need to be bashed.'
Asked if he anticipated any ongoing issues over the remainder of the season, Lewis said: 'We're very confident we will be right for the rest of the year.'
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon told SEN he wasn't happy with the surface for last week's game.
'The ground was absolutely safe but it wasn't at the level we expect,' Dillon said.
Lewis said Allianz Stadium next door to the SCG had drained well in the lead-up to Saturday night's game between the British and Irish Lions and NSW Waratahs.
There have been suggestions Allianz could be out of action for part of the A-League season should it require a fix for its drainage issues and Lewis said he was waiting for the results of independent tests on the ground before any decision is made.
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