It was revealed yesterday that the turf replacement of Colonial's problem area on the city side of the ground will not be completed until Friday, three days later than expected last Saturday when the St Kilda - Hawthorn match was switched to the MCG yesterday.

AFL chief executive Wayne Jackson said yesterday that he was under the impression that the ground would be ready for inspection by Wednesday - but the makeover will take another two days, according to Strathayr boss Bill Casimaty.

Essendon is scheduled to host West Coast at Colonial next Saturday night, and the Western Bulldogs are due to meet the Kangaroos there next Sunday.

Essendon chief executive Peter Jackson yesterday rejected a suggestion that the Bombers would host West Coast next Saturday in Perth at Subiaco Oval.

"It's highly unlikely that we'd shift the game, but if we have to, it would not be to Perth," he said. "No one's approached us, but it is a big game for our corporate people and we've got members and sponsors to accommodate."

Jackson said that if Colonial Stadium was deemed unsafe, he wanted the Essendon - West Coast match to be played on Sunday at the MCG, with the Bulldogs- Kangaroos match, scheduled for Colonial Stadium on Sunday, to be moved to Optus Oval.

The AFL yesterday ruled out Waverley Park as a possible league venue next weekend.

Colonial Stadium boss Ian Collins yesterday said he could not be sure that the surface would be suitable to host games next weekend.

Colonial's ground manager, Nationwide Venue Management, yesterday said that the replacement turf would be ready to be inspected by the AFL and a host of concerned sections of the football fraternity on Wednesday, but Mr Casimaty yesterday said the returfing programme would not be finished until Friday.

Though Mr Casimaty remained confident that the ground would be safe enough for the resumption of football games, the AFL's position is that it would prefer to make a decision on where next week's games are played before Friday.

The later than expected completion of the ground works will hamper attempts by clubs playing there next weekend to train at Colonial Stadium before deciding whether the surface has improved enough to play on.

Wayne Jackson yesterday said it was important that the ground was tested under training conditions by the players. "While I'm not convinced it was unsafe, the ground was unsatisfactory and it could have been risky," he said.

The stadium's owners, Stadium Operations Ltd, now claim that the wrong turf - kentucky bluegrass - was installed two weeks ago when 2000sq m was relaid down the flanks on the city side of the ground. It is thicker and heavier than the other grass variety on the ground.

Ripping-up of that problem section of turf started yesterday after it was discovered to have a high clay content that retains moisture.

Collins said he had no idea where the kentucky bluegrass came from, but was assured that it would be replaced with non-clay- based turf from the Strathayr growing farm near Seymour.

Further transfers of Colonial Stadium games could cost NVM a $1 million breach-of-contract penalty.

The AFL has a contract with SOL that ensures that the surface is well maintained and presented in pristine condition. As a safeguard, SOL included a similar clause in its contract with NVM, which makes the ground manager directly responsible for the state of the surface.

The penalty payout, a $1 million bank guarantee, is available to the AFL for a less than suitable playing surface at Colonial.

Sources yesterday said it was unlikely that the AFL would act on its penalty clause at Colonial Stadium because of the loss of just one match, but the league would rethink the question of compensation should the ground be considered unsafe next weekend.

Wayne Jackson alluded to the league's deal at Colonial Stadium at the weekend when he said: "The AFL has a contract in place with SOL to have a first-class surface, and we are not responsible for what happens to it on a day-by-day or a week-by-week basis. We simply want safe and stable turf."

Collins yesterday estimated that the cost of transferring Saturday night's scheduled St Kilda - Hawthorn match to the MCG yesterday would be around $250,000 to Colonial Stadium alone. Additional costs to football of the switch to the MCG are believed to be more than $100,000.

The loss of last Saturday night's fixture may well be the last straw in the battle between SOL and NVM, which oversees the contract with Strathayr to maintain the stadium's turf.