Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett has slammed the Etihad Stadium surface, linking it directly to two high-profile hamstring injuries in the AFL.

St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt and Hawks key defender Josh Gibson needed surgery after injuring their hamstrings at the ground in round three.

Kennett said on Thursday the state of the ground's surface is his biggest concern in the game.

But Dr Hugh Seward, executive officer of the AFL medical officers association, was quick to disagree with the outspoken Hawthorn president.

Seward said there had been a slight increase in hamstring injuries over the last five years, but added ground surface was a small factor.

He also said the association had not found the injury rate at Etihad Stadium was higher than at other grounds.

"After our game against the Western Bulldogs, just talking to the players ... they almost all universally commented on the uneven nature, the way in which the top surface slips," Kennett said on 3AW.

"You only get about an inch-and-a-half of top surface and then you've got concrete.

"I think it is dangerous and I've spoken to a number of presidents and some coaches of other teams, we all feel the same way.

"You cannot, in my opinion, continue to have Etihad used as an entertainment facility and then a week later (as) a sporting venue.

"You saw Nick Riewoldt do his hammy, the same weekend we lost Josh Gibson ... I think they were (related to the surface) because of the unevenness, the softness, the way the ground moves."

But Seward was quick to dismiss Kennett's concerns.

Asked specifically about Kennett's claims regarding the Riewoldt and Gibson injuries, he replied: "Any comments that I would make would be based on scientific evidence and information gathered over a period of time - I don't think that would be the basis of Mr Kennett's comments.

"We don't have any information that would lead us to have a concern that the injury rates are significantly higher at Etihad compared to other grounds.

"The hamstring injury rates are steadily and slowly rising over the last five years and I don't believe the surface of the grounds is the major impact to cause that slight increase.

"It relates more to factors such as the speed of the game and fatigue of players.

"While we can't discount the surfaces as being irrelevant, I think they are a small component of factors leading to injuries."

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