The quality of ANZ Stadium’s playing surface has again come into question after Saturday night’s AFL semi-final featured far too much slipping, sliding and scrappy play.

Sydney recorded a 24-point win over the Blues, but the sudden-death match was marred by the number of times that players – and even umpires – failed to keep their feet on the slippery surface.

There were pre-game doubts about its condition given the NRL hosted a final at the same venue 24 hours earlier.

Channel 7 commentator Cameron Ling remarked it wasn’t even “steady to walk on”, while fans took to social media to attack the venue’s suitability for AFL.

Sydney’s star recruit Kurt Tippett (knee), Swans young gun Tom Mitchell (ankle) and Carlton’s Ed Curnow (knee) couldn’t play the game out after suffering injuries in the opening half.

The role the surface played in the various incidents was debated by pundits during the game, but there was little argument the turf was not up to scratch.

Surface issues at the Sydney Olympic Park ground are nothing new for the league.

Swans veteran Jude Bolton penned a letter to the players’ association about ANZ Stadium in 2011, noting that sections of the ground were “substandard”.

In 2012, Sydney co-captain Jarrad McVeigh found metal pegs on the turf.

Concerns were raised earlier this year, when the venue hosted an AFL derby between the Swans and Greater Western Sydney shortly after a mid-week World Cup qualifier and a Good Friday NRL clash.