AFL ladder leaders Melbourne have suspended star defender Steven May for the Queen’s Birthday blockbuster with Collingwood after he and teammate Jake Melksham had an altercation after drinking.
May and Melksham had a scuffle in Prahran on Sunday night at approximately 9pm, after drinking at a dinner with teammates earlier in the evening.
The 30-year-old was not meant to be drinking as he was in concussion protocols and he has been suspended for one match by the club, ruling him out of the big clash with the Magpies.
May’s latest indiscretion comes three years after the former Gold Coast skipper avoided a club sanction for drinking while injured.
“Following a dinner on Sunday evening, Jake and Steven informed us of a scuffle that took place after a lighthearted disagreement between the pair escalated,” Melbourne general manager of football performance Alan Richardson said in a statement.
“Both Jake and Steven had been drinking at dinner and are incredibly remorseful that things played out the way they did.
“Given Steven is still under the AFL concussion protocols from Round 11, he was aware that under club guidelines he should not have been drinking.
“The leadership group has recommended to impose a one-match ban on Steven, a decision which has been endorsed by the club’s broader leadership. This will make him unavailable for both AFL and VFL selection.”
The Demons have lost two games in a row, with May concussed against Fremantle and unavailable against Sydney.
Melbourne have desperately missed star defender May but said they needed to stick to their standards.
“Over the past three years, Steven has developed into one of our most important on-field leaders, and while the impact of not having him available for selection is significant, what is more significant to us is our culture and the commitment we have to live by our values,” Richardson said.
“Steven is extremely remorseful and accepts his actions were completely out of step with the expectations the club and his teammates have of him.
“He accepts the sanction handed down and makes no excuse for his poor judgement.”
In his first season at Melbourne in May 2019, May apologised to his teammates after he was spotted drinking at a pub while sidelined with a groin injury, but avoided suspension.
He had previously been criticised for turning up to pre-season unfit and had his 2019 season ruined by injuries, before becoming the Demons’ defensive rock over the past three years.
May previously had his jaw broken by then-teammate Campbell Brown in an altercation at a Los Angeles nightclub in 2013.
Both the “extremely remorseful” May and Melksham will also complete community service.
(C) AAP 2022
