Parents involved with the Hereweka Junior Football Club are disappointed the council is only now trying to fix damage to the Portobello Domain - three weeks before the start of the season.
During the summer, rabbits dug about 30 holes on the sports field, with some large enough to take an adult's leg up to the shin.
The Dunedin City Council has said it will be fixed in time for the football season.
Hereweka club president Terry Hibbert said he had been trying to talk to the council about the problem for about two weeks, but only heard from it this week.
''People say this wouldn't happen if it was a rugby field, but I'm not sure that is the case ... I do know this wouldn't happen at Sunnyvale or Roslyn.''
Because the holes were a safety concern, the club would not be able to play any home games until it was fixed, Mr Hibbert said.
To make things worse, the two fields had been marked side by side, meaning there was no space between them for players to throw the ball in, but that was the least of their worries, he said.
Mr Hibbert said it was the lack of communication that made him concerned.
''We would be happy to sort something out if someone from the council actually came out here and actually had a look at the state of the field."
Dunedin City Council parks manager Lisa Wheeler said the council was now aware of the damage to the ground and work would be carried out before the start of the football season.
''Leading into winter, we do an update of all our winter playing grounds to make sure they are in order for the coming season.
''This year, we are a little bit behind schedule because of the dry weather we had, but the recent rain has meant we could get the work under way,'' Ms Wheeler said.
Council staff regularly checked and monitored grounds to make sure they were ready for winter sports, but the damage at the Portobello Domain was unusual, she said.
Ms Wheeler met Mr Hibbert at the domain on Wednesday to see the damage.
Mr Hibbert said he did not see how it could be fixed before the opening game in two weeks.
''It would be fair to say that the club and parents are frustrated and disappointed that work is only just starting, three weeks out from the junior football season,'' he said.
