ANZ Stadium's managers have admitted it is unacceptable that metal pegs were found on the playing surface during Saturday night's AFL match.

In what was the second AFL game at the ground this season, several Sydney players had to pick up pegs during the first quarter of the six-point loss to Collingwood.

The venue operators acknowledged they failed to meet basic safety standards.

"The stadium's investigation has revealed the pegs were those used to secure growth mats to the turf in the days leading up to an event," ANZ Stadium management said in a statement.

"While it is standard procedure to remove all pegs and check the entire playing surface is free of such objects, clearly in this instance a number of pegs were not recovered, which is completely unacceptable.

"The stadium acknowledges that it has a fundamental obligation to provide a safe playing environment and on this occasion the stadium failed to meet that standard."

They said they would ensure pegs would not be left on the ground again.

The latest incident follows Swans' complaints about the condition of the playing surface, after their first game there this season, against Essendon in round two.

But coach John Longmire said, while pegs being on the ground was unacceptable, he doubted there would be any such issues for their final game there this season, against St Kilda in round 22.

"Clearly, it's unacceptable to have metal pegs on the ground and they have admitted that," Longmire said.

"I think from our point of view there's just no point of focusing on it too much, we need to make sure that we get our focus on Adelaide this week."

Longmire said the ANZ Stadium ground staff had been working hard to improve the surface.

"I'm confident that it won't happen again and I'm sure that they are putting procedures in place to make sure it doesn't happen again."

The stadium surface has come in for criticism by AFL clubs on previous occasions, for being soft and shifting.

And in 2008, then-Sydney forward Barry Hall broke his wrist after crashing through a flimsy advertising hoarding into the venue's fence, although that incident was overshadowed by Hall's infamous hit on West Coast's Brent Staker in the same match.

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