Magazine - Brumby buys into Etihad War

By Editor in A.F.L on 29th Jul 2010 12:00

Premier John Brumby has backed AFL player concerns about Etihad's surface problems. Mr Brumby said Victoria has world-class standards but they needed to be maintained to the best possible standard.

"I am concerned about the turf there," Mr Brumby said. "You have got the best sports people in Australia and they're super fit and they are giving 100 per cent commitment and if the ground gives out under them it puts pressures on ankles and knees and other parts of their anatomy.

"So it is an issue and it needs to be resolved, and they need to resolve it in a way where the players I think can have 100 per cent confidence that when they turn, when they maneuver at 100 per cent speed, that they can do so with absolute confidence that the grass surface is not going to give way underneath them."

Mr Brumby said he did not want to speculate on a hypothetical player revolt, but said more needed to be done to alleviate player worries.

"You could say of Victoria that we have got the best sporting facilities of anywhere in Australia, whether it's the MCG or Etihad or Rod Laver, these are great arenas, but we need to make sure that we maintain them at the absolute best possible standard. "To the extent that those concerns exist they need to be resolved and the players do need to have confidence, complete confidence, in the quality of the surface."

The AFL Players' Association warned it would demand the League look at moving matches if Etihad's shambolic surface did not improve this week. "We will be closely watching the performance of the Etihad surface over the weekend, and also consulting directly with our members - and if the situation hasn't improved we will be putting the prospect of relocating games back on the table," AFLPA chief executive Matt Finnis declared.

He said the Etihad surface resembled an "ice skating rink" in Friday night's draw between St Kilda and Hawthorn - and was the worst he had seen at the venue.

Source & More: www.heraldsun.com.au

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