The Sydney Cricket Ground Trust defended its role in Friday night's "Watergate" AFL semi-final which became a largely unappealing spectacle with players falling over and dropping the ball in the slippery conditions.

Geelong and Sydney each managed only seven goals for the match, with Swans coach Paul Roos and club officials demanding answers from the SCG Trust on why the surface was so wet.

"Basically all these sorts of questions go back to (AFL ground operations manager) Jill Lindsay who organised the ground to be watered on a request from Geelong," SCG Trust spokesman Greg Campbell said.

"The ground was watered Thursday afternoon and Friday afternoon.

"The outfield wasn't watered, only the centre-wicket area.

"The centre wicket-area has to meet the AFL's penetrometer readings and the AFL is very strict about that."

In the interests of player safety, the centre-wicket table was watered for three minutes on Thursday afternoon and again on Friday afternoon, Lindsay told The Australian newspaper.

Lindsay said the SCG playing surface was fine during the match although there was some dew which was normal for a night game.

The explanation failed to ease the concerns of Roos.

"I don't know if there was a burst water main under the ground or what, because it was that saturated," Roos said on 2KY Radio.

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