Motocross legend Joel Evans' fiancee has revealed her pregnancy in a heart breaking post
Joel Evans was injured in a crash while riding in the elite division of a ProMX Championship event at the Gillman Speedway in Adelaide's northern suburbs on Sunday afternoon.
The event was called off and Mr Evans was rushed to hospital, where he died later that day.
Michaela Hurt, Mr Evans' fiancee, revealed her pregnancy in a bittersweet tribute to her late partner, referring to her unborn child as their 'silver lining'.
'Our beautiful Joely … a piece of you lives on,' Ms Hurt wrote in a social media post, referring to the child, due in October.
'Yesterday we lost the most incredible person on this earth.'
'The most authentic, loved and kind hearted soul.
'He loved and devoted his life to this sport which brought him so much joy and he rode it out right till the end.'
Ms Hurt thanked everyone who would keep Mr Evans' memory alive.
'We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and support for our beautiful man,' she wrote.
'He is such a loved partner, uncle, brother, friend and son but most proudly a father to our adored little boy who is joining us in October.'
'Please share his name, share his legacy, this incredible man deserves to be remembered across the generations.
'We love you so much Joely.'
The couple were engaged in October of last year.
Although now a single mother, Ms Hurt will be supported by loving friends and family, with Mr Evans' sister vowed to be by her side.
'I am lost for words, but I'll try,' Alex wrote in a heartwrenching social media post of her own.
'On Sunday I lost so much more than a brother. You were my best friend, the godfather to my babies, it felt like twins, you were such a piece to my puzzle. My boys were so lucky to have you.
'To our best friend Michaela I wish I could take your heartache and pain. I promise to support, care and love for you and my gorgeous boy coming as best I can. The way Joely would want me to.
'To my family I'm sure people get through this, it will take time for us to navigate that.
'You are supposed to still be here, this was not the way it was meant to be, I don't want to believe it and in this moment I honestly am not sure how to do it without you.'
She said her brother was 'doing what he loved and was in one of the happiest eras of his life'.
Motocross clubs around the world have also shared condolences, as have parents whose children were trained by Mr Evans in his home state of Queensland.
A message has been posted to his official Facebook page, which has 27,000 followers, which said the 30-year-old was expecting to become a father.
'Yesterday we lost the most incredible person on this earth. The most authentic, loved and kind hearted soul,' the message reads.
'He loved and devoted his life to this sport which brought him so much joy and he rode it out right till the end. We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and support for our beautiful man.
'He is such a loved partner, uncle, brother, friend and son but most proudly a father to our adored little boy who is joining us in October.'
Mr Evans' sister, Renae, said her family had been 'changed forever'.
'What do you say when you have no words? Yesterday our lives changed forever,' she wrote.
Her sibling was the 'best brother a girl could ask for, and an even greater uncle for my girls', she said.
'We love you so much buddy. More than you'll ever understand. Ride. In. Peace #81.
'And for those reading. Hug your loved ones extra today, and please don't ever take your time for granted.
'Tomorrow isn't promised for any of us.'
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The Advertiser
24-07-2025
- The Advertiser
Demons to challenge May's controversial three-match ban
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The Demons announced on Thursday they are challenging the suspension, with the case to be heard by the AFL Appeals Board next week. "We felt we presented a really strong case and Steven's sole intention was to win the ball, and we believe he provided a contest in a reasonable way given the circumstances," Melbourne's football manager Alan Richardson said in a statement. "After reviewing the outcome and seeking further expert legal advice this morning, we have decided to appeal the Tribunal's decision." In his findings on Wednesday night, AFL Tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson said May had ample time while running towards the ball to realise there was a big chance he wouldn't arrive there first and to come up with a contingency plan. "The most he could have hoped was that he would arrive at about the same time as Evans," Gleeson said. "It was far more likely that he would reach the ball after Evans. "As he gathered the ball, Evans had time to position his body just slightly so as to turn slightly away from May. "This gives some indication that May had sufficient time to make some attempt to move his body in a way that minimised or avoided the impact limits. "May made no attempt to change his path, his body position or his velocity at any time leading up to or in the contest." Before the hearing, Carlton captain Patrick Cripps questioned how May could have approached things differently. "I felt like both of them were trying to contest the ball," Cripps told the On the Inside podcast. "You never want to see a player get injured, but I don't understand what we want players to do. "If that's a grand final and (May) hesitates and Franky gets the ball, what do you do?" If May is unsuccessful in his appeal, he will miss games against St Kilda, West Coast and the Western Bulldogs. He was set to miss this week's clash with St Kilda in any case due to concussion. Melbourne will challenge Steven May's controversial three-match ban for a collision that has divided the football world. May was found guilty of rough conduct at the AFL Tribunal on Wednesday night for the collision that concussed Francis Evans and left the Carlton forward with a broken nose and a chipped tooth. A biomechanics expert calculated May had only 0.56 seconds from the ball's final bounce until the moment of the collision, and that the premiership defender would have needed at least 0.2 to 0.25 seconds to react. "The time available to him to perceive and react to a complex scenario is not sufficient for him to adapt and avoid contact," AIS biomechanist Daniel Cottam said in his findings, not all of which could be submitted as evidence for the tribunal hearing. May argued he had little time to react, saying he was so sure he was going to get to the ball first that he was left shocked when Evans beat him to it during Saturday's game at the MCG. The Demons announced on Thursday they are challenging the suspension, with the case to be heard by the AFL Appeals Board next week. "We felt we presented a really strong case and Steven's sole intention was to win the ball, and we believe he provided a contest in a reasonable way given the circumstances," Melbourne's football manager Alan Richardson said in a statement. "After reviewing the outcome and seeking further expert legal advice this morning, we have decided to appeal the Tribunal's decision." In his findings on Wednesday night, AFL Tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson said May had ample time while running towards the ball to realise there was a big chance he wouldn't arrive there first and to come up with a contingency plan. "The most he could have hoped was that he would arrive at about the same time as Evans," Gleeson said. "It was far more likely that he would reach the ball after Evans. "As he gathered the ball, Evans had time to position his body just slightly so as to turn slightly away from May. "This gives some indication that May had sufficient time to make some attempt to move his body in a way that minimised or avoided the impact limits. "May made no attempt to change his path, his body position or his velocity at any time leading up to or in the contest." Before the hearing, Carlton captain Patrick Cripps questioned how May could have approached things differently. "I felt like both of them were trying to contest the ball," Cripps told the On the Inside podcast. "You never want to see a player get injured, but I don't understand what we want players to do. "If that's a grand final and (May) hesitates and Franky gets the ball, what do you do?" If May is unsuccessful in his appeal, he will miss games against St Kilda, West Coast and the Western Bulldogs. He was set to miss this week's clash with St Kilda in any case due to concussion. 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24-07-2025
- Courier-Mail
AFL stars question rules after Steven May's three-game suspension
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. AFL players have already begun to 'hesitate slightly', knowing the 'margins' between a fair contest and a lengthy ban are slim as the impact of a three-match suspension handed to Melbourne defender Steven May reverberates through the game. May was suspended despite the AFL tribunal conceding his collision with Carlton's Francis Evans last Saturday night was not a bump. In the final minutes of his defence, May's legal counsel Adrian Anderson declared 'there was not much more he could do', but after more than 90 minutes of deliberation, the three-man tribunal panel determined he should have slowed down or changed his path to avoid Evans. Debate has raged since the incident, with some pundits adamant the game could no longer allow players to charge headlong towards opponents, whether the ball was in play or not. Steven May v Francis Evans. Picture: Fox Footy Evans, who lost a tooth and was left bloodied and bruised, conceded to the tribunal that he didn't think he was going to get to the ball before May, adding to the confusion over the ban. Essendon vice-captain Andy McGrath conceded the incident was a 'tricky' one for the tribunal but said over the course of his career his on-field attitude had changed, and he now asked himself questions despite the 'split second' nature of making calls. 'They are split-second decisions, there are so many in game, and the longer I play – this is my ninth season – those split-second contests have changed a lot,' he said. 'If you are second to the ball, you have a big responsibility to not make contact with your opponent's head. Evans came off second best. Picture: Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos/via Getty Images 'It definitely comes through your mind, whether that causes us to hesitate slightly, I am questioning that more and more in the game to protect the opposition player's head.' Carlton captain and Brownlow medallist Patrick Cripps said he wasn't sure what May could have done and McGrath agreed. 'It didn't look great but it's really hard to pull out of that contest at the last second,' he told SEN. 'As players, it's pretty tricky to know what penalty lies based on the act and we know that's margins between a fair play and a pretty significant sanction.' Melbourne has the opportunity to appeal the verdict, with Demons great Garry Lyon believing the club will take up that option. Lyon did not agree with the AFL tribunal's argument that May 'had sufficient time with an unimpeded view of what was before him to determine what he could and should do in the likely event that he did not reach the ball either first or at the same time'. 'That's nonsense, which is why I've lost a bit of faith in this and why I think they'll appeal,' Lyon told SEN Breakfast. 'No-one could reasonably think that they weren't going to get to that football. (Evans) thought Steven May was going to get there first.' Originally published as Confused players starting to hesitate in games knowing they could be banned for accidents
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23-07-2025
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May's three-game ban set to divide the AFL world
Debate is set to rage after Melbourne defender Steven May was handed a three-match ban for his devastating collision with an opponent that has divided the football world. May was found guilty of rough conduct at the AFL Tribunal on Wednesday night for the collision that concussed Francis Evans and left the Carlton forward with a broken nose and a chipped tooth. A biomechanics expert calculated May had only 0.56 seconds from the ball's final bounce until the moment of the collision, and that the premiership defender would have needed at least 0.2 to 0.25 seconds to react. "The time available to him to perceive and react to a complex scenario is not sufficient for him to adapt and avoid contact," AIS biomechanist Daniel Cottam said in his findings, not all of which could be submitted as evidence for the tribunal hearing. May argued he had little time to react, saying he was so sure he was going to get to the ball first that he was left shocked when Evans beat him to it during Saturday's game at the MCG. But AFL Tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson said May had ample time while running towards the ball to realise there was a big chance he wouldn't arrive there first and to come up with a contingency plan. "The most he could have hoped was that he would arrive at about the same time as Evans," Gleeson said. "It was far more likely that he would reach the ball after Evans. "As he gathered the ball, Evans had time to position his body just slightly so as to turn slightly away from May. "This gives some indication that May had sufficient time to make some attempt to move his body in a way that minimised or avoided the impact limits. "May made no attempt to change his path, his body position or his velocity at any time leading up to or in the contest." Before the hearing, Carlton captain Patrick Cripps questioned how May could have approached things differently. "I felt like both of them were trying to contest the ball," Cripps told the On the Inside podcast. "You never want to see a player get injured but I don't understand what we want players to do. "If that's a grand final and (May) hesitates and Franky gets the ball, what do you do?" The decision to suspend May has set a strong precedent when it comes to players arriving at a loose ball within a split second of each other. May will miss games against St Kilda, West Coast and the Western Bulldogs. Debate is set to rage after Melbourne defender Steven May was handed a three-match ban for his devastating collision with an opponent that has divided the football world. May was found guilty of rough conduct at the AFL Tribunal on Wednesday night for the collision that concussed Francis Evans and left the Carlton forward with a broken nose and a chipped tooth. A biomechanics expert calculated May had only 0.56 seconds from the ball's final bounce until the moment of the collision, and that the premiership defender would have needed at least 0.2 to 0.25 seconds to react. "The time available to him to perceive and react to a complex scenario is not sufficient for him to adapt and avoid contact," AIS biomechanist Daniel Cottam said in his findings, not all of which could be submitted as evidence for the tribunal hearing. May argued he had little time to react, saying he was so sure he was going to get to the ball first that he was left shocked when Evans beat him to it during Saturday's game at the MCG. But AFL Tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson said May had ample time while running towards the ball to realise there was a big chance he wouldn't arrive there first and to come up with a contingency plan. "The most he could have hoped was that he would arrive at about the same time as Evans," Gleeson said. "It was far more likely that he would reach the ball after Evans. "As he gathered the ball, Evans had time to position his body just slightly so as to turn slightly away from May. "This gives some indication that May had sufficient time to make some attempt to move his body in a way that minimised or avoided the impact limits. "May made no attempt to change his path, his body position or his velocity at any time leading up to or in the contest." Before the hearing, Carlton captain Patrick Cripps questioned how May could have approached things differently. "I felt like both of them were trying to contest the ball," Cripps told the On the Inside podcast. "You never want to see a player get injured but I don't understand what we want players to do. "If that's a grand final and (May) hesitates and Franky gets the ball, what do you do?" The decision to suspend May has set a strong precedent when it comes to players arriving at a loose ball within a split second of each other. May will miss games against St Kilda, West Coast and the Western Bulldogs. Debate is set to rage after Melbourne defender Steven May was handed a three-match ban for his devastating collision with an opponent that has divided the football world. May was found guilty of rough conduct at the AFL Tribunal on Wednesday night for the collision that concussed Francis Evans and left the Carlton forward with a broken nose and a chipped tooth. A biomechanics expert calculated May had only 0.56 seconds from the ball's final bounce until the moment of the collision, and that the premiership defender would have needed at least 0.2 to 0.25 seconds to react. "The time available to him to perceive and react to a complex scenario is not sufficient for him to adapt and avoid contact," AIS biomechanist Daniel Cottam said in his findings, not all of which could be submitted as evidence for the tribunal hearing. May argued he had little time to react, saying he was so sure he was going to get to the ball first that he was left shocked when Evans beat him to it during Saturday's game at the MCG. But AFL Tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson said May had ample time while running towards the ball to realise there was a big chance he wouldn't arrive there first and to come up with a contingency plan. "The most he could have hoped was that he would arrive at about the same time as Evans," Gleeson said. "It was far more likely that he would reach the ball after Evans. "As he gathered the ball, Evans had time to position his body just slightly so as to turn slightly away from May. "This gives some indication that May had sufficient time to make some attempt to move his body in a way that minimised or avoided the impact limits. "May made no attempt to change his path, his body position or his velocity at any time leading up to or in the contest." Before the hearing, Carlton captain Patrick Cripps questioned how May could have approached things differently. "I felt like both of them were trying to contest the ball," Cripps told the On the Inside podcast. "You never want to see a player get injured but I don't understand what we want players to do. "If that's a grand final and (May) hesitates and Franky gets the ball, what do you do?" The decision to suspend May has set a strong precedent when it comes to players arriving at a loose ball within a split second of each other. May will miss games against St Kilda, West Coast and the Western Bulldogs.
