THE MATCH between Collingwood and Adelaide commenced on time on Sunday despite a leaking water pipe under the playing surface at Victoria Park.
Ground staff spent at least 30 minutes attempting to repair the damage on the wing edge of the centre square, digging a hole in the turf to drain the area before packing the hole with sand and sawdust.
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There appeared to be a chance the game could be delayed before the situation was brought under control, under the watchful eye of club CEOs and officials, and ticked off by the AFL.
A groundskeeper checked the area at every break in play, topping up the sand mixture if needed.
Post-match, the normally mild-mannered Adelaide coach Matthew Clarke made his frustrations known about the time it took for the surface to be deemed safe to play on.
"It was pretty shabby. We were here three hours before the game, and it was clearly an issue. For us not have reached resolution with two minutes before the game – we need to be a bit better," Clarke said.
"They were doing stuff (to repair the ground), but let's get it sorted and make a clear decision earlier.
"Ultimately, [player safety] is what we have to decide on, and that's the responsibility of the AFL to make that call. But I think we should have been able to address the issue quicker."
Collingwood coach Sam Wright said he had been focused on his team pre-match.
"We just take guidance from the AFL, and the AFL cleared that straight away. The way we see it is wellbeing is the number one thing for all players on the ground, not just our players. So the AFL did their due diligence and came down as acceptable to play, so we were happy with that," Wright said.
"For us, I was worried about getting a young team up to play a system and a brand of footy that's going to challenge one of the better sides. That's [Clarke's] opinion, I think mine more stays within our four walls and what we're trying to control."
Collingwood will host Carlton at Victoria Park next Sunday.
Just before the game began, AFL match day manager David Talalla said the issue had been rectified to an acceptable standard.
"There's a water pipe under the ground there, probably about 3-4 feet under. It's got a little leak so it's acting like a sprinkler coming up," Talalla told Fox Sports.
"So we've drained it as much as we can, we've dug a hole around it ... filled it up now with sand.
"It's more of a visual (thing) now. It's still leaking a little bit, but it's a visual thing so the players know it's a little bit soft under foot.
"But it's not much different to a real downpour on a suburban ground which hasn't got great drainage.
"We'll monitor it (in the breaks) but as far as I'm concerned, the game goes ahead on time."
Outside of football hours, Victoria Park is a dog-friendly council oval, open to the public.
Sections of turf were re-laid in July, with community football games shifted elsewhere.
