Homebush Concern
The Age
Tuesday July 8, 2008
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has conceded there are problems with the playing surface at Homebush in Sydney. Both Collingwood and Sydney commented on the state of the shifting surface after their match last Saturday night. The players left dozens of divots on the ground, which was used for the state-of-origin rugby league decider three nights previously. The wing areas, covered by retractable seating during the origin game, were particularly soft on Saturday. With the ground likely to host more games, as the AFL pushes ahead with plans for a second side in Sydney, Demetriou said the issue would need to be addressed. "There is a lot of traffic on ANZ Stadium - that is something that I guess that ANZ Stadium management are going to have to look at in the future," he said. "From . . . an AFL perspective, we are not really used to playing on grounds like that, that are soft. It was certainly passed by our independent turf specialists, so there wasn't any issue there. "As we continue to play at ANZ Stadium, which we will, particularly with the 18th licence, the issues of the softness are something that will have to be addressed." Yesterday, the AFL also announced an extension of its sponsorship deal with Toyota. The car company will continue as the league's main sponsor for at least another three years once the current deal finishes at the end of this season. -- KAREN LYON with AAP
© 2008 The Age
