Kelly stopped short of saying the ground wasn’t fit for playing but said wotk was needed on the Etihad surface.
“It’s not great,” Kelly said after Geelong’s easy win over Essendon on Saturday night.
“In the middle it’s very loose and a couple of times I sort of hit the ground and big chunks came out again.
“Hopefully they can do something about it.”
The Etihad Stadium surface has been the subject of discussion following an injury to Western Bulldogs star Shaun Higgins last week.
Higgins rolled an ankle while in the action of kicking. Upon making connection with the ball, a large piece of turf was dislodged from the surface.
No players from Geelong or Essendon appeared to suffer any serious injury in Saturday night’s match, although Kelly seemed adamant the ground’s condition didn’t measure up to past standards.
“I think it’s probably a bit worse at the moment,” Kelly said.
“It’s sort of really loose and it’s popping up a little bit which makes it hard to run on.
“Especially in the centre circle, it’s quite lumpy.”
Saturday night was Geelong’s first home and away match at Etihad Stadium for the year after the club played a pre-season fixture at the venue.
The Cats won’t return to the ground until rounds 20 and 21.
The Etihad Stadium surface, like all AFL grounds, has thorough inspections before each match, with the AFLPA invited to examine the playing arena in case there are any serious concerns.
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