Melbourne's Steven May fails at appeal to get rough conduct suspension for clash with Francis Evans overturned

Australia Broadcast Center

28-07-2025

Star defender Steven May will still miss Melbourne's next two games after the club's bid to overturn his rough conduct suspension was rejected by the AFL appeals board.
May was initially handed a three-match ban by the tribunal for rough conduct over the high-speed collision in the Demons' July 19 loss to Carlton that left Blues forward Francis Evans with concussion, a broken nose and a missing tooth.
The All Australian defender maintained the ball was always his focus.
May, who missed the Demons' demoralising loss to St Kilda on Sunday with his own concussion, will be suspended for games against West Coast and the Western Bulldogs.
He was not involved in Monday night's appeal hearing.
The Demons appealed on the basis the tribunal made an error of law and that no tribunal acting reasonably could have come to the decision it did.
Melbourne's case, which was presented over more than an hour, hinged on the contention that no reasonable tribunal would expect a player to anticipate the trajectory of the ball's bounce.
Melbourne noted after a handball went over Evans' head, the ball bounced four times.
The first three bounces went away from the Carlton player, before the fourth took the ball into his hands, when May made contact.
Jack Rush, acting for the Demons, contended the tribunal had put a "sense of perfection on the reasonable player" in expecting May to anticipate the ball's trajectory.
Melbourne also contended that the tribunal noting Evans had made a movement to avoid contact, while not taking into account May had extended his left leg in an attempt to also slow down, was "the height of procedural unfairness" and demonstrated "unreasonableness".
AFL representative Nick Pane quickly contended the tribunal's finding was not unreasonable before the appeals board of Stephen Jurica, Wayne Henwood and chair Will Houghton deliberated for 14 minutes.
In rejecting Melbourne's appeal, Houghton said the board was satisfied May understood the case being put forward against him and he had every opportunity to put forward his own case.
He concluded there was no lack of procedural fairness and no unreasonableness in the tribunal's decision.
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin had said on Sunday that May was "devastated and shattered" by the tribunal's decision, having believed he had done the right thing in attacking the ball.
Goodwin also predicted the case would shape the way players approach contests in future.
He believed players would adapt with the more information they get from the AFL about how they are required to act in certain scenarios.
AAP