MELBOURNE recruit Steven May will front the AFL club’s leadership group after breaching the Demons’ strict policy of no drinking while out injured.
Vice-captain Max Gawn said he didn’t know the full details of May’s indiscretion after he was seen spending Sunday afternoon drinking at a bar on, but it would be reviewed by his teammates.
The former Gold Coast captain has faced heavy scrutiny since arriving at the Demons out of shape during the summer.
May injured his hamstring during the pre-season, missed round one through suspension then suffered a groin injury which has kept him on the sidelines.
Gawn said his 27-year-old teammate was on the long-term injury list and still six weeks away from running and he didn’t know if he’d been given permission by the club to consume alcohol.
“We will definitely talk about it (as a leadership group).” Gawn said on RSN927 on Tuesday morning.
“I don’t know what’s happened, I don’t have any details, but take Steven out of it, there is a no-drinking-in-rehab rule.
“Not everything is a black-and-white decision, so there’s going to be elements to every story you’ve got to process, and I’m presuming this will be one.”
Gawn defended his teammate after AFL greats questioned his professionalism since joining the struggling club, which has only won two matches this season.
Melbourne gave up their No.6 draft pick to secure key defender May, who had been viewed as a crucial addition to bolster the team’s backline.
“Steven has trained his backside off – I’ve been really impressed with how he’s trained,” Gawn said.
“He’s still brought a lot to the club because he’s played more than 100 games and he’s captained a football club, so he’s been an ear I’ve been leaning on and I’m sure when he gets back he’ll be playing some pretty good footy.”
Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy told Fox Footy’s On the Couch on Monday night he was disappointed in May.
“He’s had a troubled start at the Demons and to be caught out or even to just do it behind closed doors, to me, suggests the bloke hasn’t learned his lessons,” Healy said.
Former Demons coach Paul Roos also turned up the pressure on the recruit.
“I don’t know what he’s going through but what I do know is footy isn’t a priority for him,” Roos said.
“It’s clearly not a priority … because he wouldn’t be doing that.”
The Dees will travel to Gold Coast to face the Suns on Saturday, then face West Coast in Perth and Greater Western Sydney at the MCG.
© AAP 2019
