Adam Lewis, the head curator for Venues NSW, has labelled severe criticism of the SCG’s turf as “over the top” and defended his team ahead of Sunday’s game between the Swans and Fremantle.

Speaking on SEN radio on Friday morning, AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon joined a long line of critics from across the country having their say on the standard of the SCG surface, stating he “wasn’t happy” and that the turf “wasn’t at the level we expect”.

Lewis described last Friday’s game between the Western Bulldogs and the Swans, which saw players frequently slipping on the turf, as a curator’s “worst nightmare”, and said his team had to turn off the TV commentary as criticism mounted over the playing surface, then spread on social media.

“It’s been a very tough week for me and my staff,” Lewis said. “Look, I think it’s 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 set a really high standard, and they take pride in where they work at the SCG, and they’re 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.”

Heat lamps have been installed on the turf in front of the Don Bradman Stand at the Paddington end of the SCG for up to 22 hours a day since last Saturday, with that area of the field having struggled to recover from an Andrea Bocelli concert on April 3 then soaked by heavy rain this week.

Lewis confirmed there had never been any chance of the Swans game being moved to another venue, and said extra staff had been employed to ensure the surface was game-ready on Sunday.

“When you’re working at the SCG, you’re working long hours, you work odd hours,” Lewis said. “The guys are coming in and doing extra hours that we wouldn’t normally need to do because they take pride in their work.

“We just don’t need the ill-informed information out there and them being attacked on social media. I just think it’s uncalled for.”

The Swans have trained on the adjacent Tramway Oval this week, but Venues NSW confirmed both Fremantle and the Swans would be able to complete their captain’s runs at the SCG on Saturday as scheduled.

Lewis is also overseeing the surface at Allianz Stadium ahead of Saturday’s showpiece rugby fixture between the British and Irish Lions and the Waratahs.

Loading

Lewis was confident the field’s drainage was doing its job and the surface would hold up to a tough test.

“We’ve done independent testing and we’ve done our own testing as well for Allianz,” Lewis said.

“We’ve been really lucky next door to have a little bit of a break, so we were able to do some renovation practices, bring the grow lamps out and keep the whole field matted.

“We’ve got some really good growth next door and drainage has been great. It drained really well the other day from the downpour, and it’s drying out every day.”

Venues NSW will wait for the results of independent testing on the Allianz Stadium turf before deciding whether it will need to be relaid and drainage systems replaced after the NRL finals in late September.

Sydney FC have been told by Venues NSW to prepare for the possibility of not starting their A-League season at Allianz Stadium, with work on the field and drainage system potentially taking up to six weeks if it is carried out after the NRL finals.

The Sky Blues would likely temporarily play home games at Kogarah and Leichhardt ovals if necessary repairs to Allianz Stadium are carried out.