Footy legend Garry Lyon says AFL was guilty of ‘the greatest act of tokenism’ over MCG turf fiasco
The fact that the AFL insisted that the MCG ground was safe to play in the first round was “the greatest symbolic act in world sport”, according to soccer legend Garry Lyon.
Debate continues over the safety of the turf, which had to be ripped up and replaced after two Ed Sheeran concerts, which drew more than 200,000 fans, just two weeks before the start of the AFL season between the Blues and Tigers.
Cats coach Chris Scott was furious after his team’s 22-point loss to the Magpies, saying a “problem” with the surface may have contributed to the seemingly innocuous injuries to Tom Stewart and Sam De Koenig. .
Blues captain Sam Docherty, who has had two ACLs done, later added weight to the debate, saying he was “extremely nervous” about playing for the MCG when he came out before the game and “saw the differences on the turf.”
And for Lyon, that’s enough.
Cats star Tom Stewart was injured in Geelong’s first round loss to Collingwood in an innocuous incident at the MCG.
Stewart was seen wearing a knee brace after the game, and coach Chris Scott was scathing, saying the MCC kicked an ‘own goal’ for scheduling an Ed Sheeran concert just two weeks before the start of the season.
Garry Lyon, pictured celebrating the Demons’ big final victory with manager Simon Goodwin in 2021, has dealt a brutal blow to the AFL for “checking the box” that MCG’s turf was safe
The MCC was forced to undertake $1 million salvage work to replace a large section of the MCG’s turf after an Ed Sheeran concert ruined it just two weeks into the season.
“Let’s put aside what the players said… the inspection on the ground is the biggest lip service in world sport,” he said in SEN Breakfast Tuesday morning.
‘The AFL ground inspection is the biggest box-ticking and symbolic act in world sport.
In a scathing spray at the league, the Demons Hall of Fame legend took aim at the AFL for simply ticking a box when player safety was at risk.
‘Let’s go through the scenario…in what world, in what universe, in what fantasy was someone going to go out to the MCG last week and say, ‘listen, Gil, bad news. I know you have it scheduled for 88,000 on Thursday, 86,000 on Friday, 50,000 on Saturday, and another 60,000 on Sunday. But guess what, we’re not going to play here,’ Lyon said.
‘In what fantasy does that ever happen? Don’t go through the charade of saying, “oh yeah, we got angry on the grass.”
Sam Docherty, who has had two ABIs. I was on the floor, he was walking on that floor at 4:30 pm… then he came out and said that he was worried about it.
It would be nice if the guys in suits would say that the grass is magnificent. You’re not playing with it.
Richmond star Shai Bolton takes an impressive hanger at the AFL season opener at the MCG
Carlton skipper Sam Docherty admitted he was “extremely nervous” about playing on MCG turf due to its inconsistency.
Cats star and AFL Players chairman Patrick Dangerfield also noted that there were “areas of inconsistency” with the turf, which his coach blamed on the MCC’s “own goal” for staging a concert so close to the season.
For its part, MCC, which owns MCG, rejected the criticism outright, with CEO Stuart Fox saying he didn’t think a single blade of grass was out of place.
‘I am very, very happy [with the re-laid turf]’, he told SEN on Thursday.
‘We finished on Saturday night [March 12] and our turf team has been working very hard just perfecting (the soil) now. When you look now, there’s not a blade of grass out of place.
Footy supremo Eddie McGuire has a very simple, if bizarre, solution to the controversy.
Footy supremo Eddie McGuire had a simple solution to the MCG turf controversy: put a roof on it
‘Put a roof on it. That is what they have to do. It’s as simple as that,’ she said in her podcast with the great Jimmy Bartel from Cats.
“So the next phase of the MCG is the rebuilding of the South Stand, and one of the things that I’m very, very, very excited about is having a retractable roof on the MCG, or a sunroof.
‘It’s quite simple; all over the world they are putting ceilings on these things, and that is the answer.
“You don’t get Ed Sheeran, you don’t get Billy Joel to do a one-off show unless it’s at the MCG, where they can put 108,000 in there.”
Over 200,000 fans flocked to the MCG to see music megastar Ed Sheeran just two weeks before the AFL season opener.
Fans were quick to express their puzzlement that the former Collingwood president linked having a roof on one of the world’s biggest stadiums to his turf problems.
‘One problem, the surface would still be ruined by the gig, so it doesn’t really fix anything. Eddie has lost the plot,’ one fan said on Twitter, with another writing: ‘How is putting a roof on the G relevant to turf issues?’
No doubt the public war of words over turf between players, MCC and league officials and former legends will continue until the second round.
The MCG will host highly successful matchups between the Blues and Cats (Friday night) and the Magpies and Power (Saturday afternoon).