While taking issue with AFL chief Andrew Demetriou's use of the word 'crap' to describe the playing surface at Punt Road, Richmond coach Terry Wallace agrees the facility is well short of AFL standard.
Wallace has attributed a serious of injuries last season directly to training on grounds that were not fit for the purpose.
Punt Road is used by the Richmond Cricket Club during summer forcing the Tigers to look for alternative training venues over the pre-season, including Victoria Park and Gosch's Paddock, but in any case Wallace believes Punt Road is too hard and too small.
"There is no pocket on the Punt Road side so it is difficult to formulate things that you want to put in place when the ground conditions are completely different to what you are playing on," Wallace told his regular Tuesday media conference.
"It's not the ideal preparation."
"It's been awkward, it's been difficult, we've really been in a situation where we have been nomadic."
"We're not using that as any excuse but clearly it is something the club needs to get right in the future."
"Last year we probably got between six and eight stress-related injuries from training on inferior grounds here and elsewhere."
"It ruined our season last year."
On the playing front, Wallace flagged the prospect that veteran defender Joel Bowden could benefit from a stint in the VFL to rediscover his confidence.
"That will be a match committee decision on which way it goes," Wallace said.
"Whatever it is, if we decide to play or him or decide not to play him we'll be backing Joel in 100 per cent."
"It's just which way we think we can get him back to playing his best footy quickest."
Wallace said he expects Mark Coughlan to have a run in the VFL this week along with the club's top selection at last year's national draft, midfielder Trent Cotchin, who has finally shrugged off a nagging Achilles complaint.
Wallace said Cotchin would most likely play a half of football and was still several weeks away from being match fit.
"He's been absolutely rapt to be back on the training track and doing everything and we look forward to him playing," Wallace said.
"He hasn't had a pre-season so we've just got to work him back into it."