Melbourne star bails on halftime interview as all-in brawl break outs
Melbourne defender Christian Salem pulled the pin on a halftime interview as a wild brawl broke out at the MCG on Saturday night.
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Melbourne defender Christian Salem had no interest in sticking around for a halftime interview as chaos unfolded.
Tensions exploded between the Dees and North Melbourne with close to every player on the ground engaging in a wild fracas.
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What started as a small push and shove between a hand full of players quickly escalated into out all carnage as scraps broke out all over the MCG turf.
Salem had been lined up to chat with Channel 7’s Campbell Brown but in the blink of an eye he left the former player on his own as he rushed in to help out his teammates.
“Down here with Christian Salem as all the boys are starting to fire in … Christian, I’ll keep you out of it, I might save you some money from the MRO,” Brown said.
“No, he is gone. He’s jumped in. This is an all in here. It is getting very very willing. Christian has run out to help his teammates out.
“Never thought I would be in another melee but I am smack bang in the middle of it. Tempers absolutely flaring.”
The brawl wasn’t the only key moment from the contest with Melbourne star Steven May sparking fierce backlash.
Midway through the third term with the Demons leading by 15, May picked up a loose ball before North’s Eddie Ford caught hold of the defender.
After being spun around 360 degrees, Ford took May to the ground before May grabbed at the back of his head.
The motion from May made it appear he had been slung head first into the turf which resulted in the umpire blowing his whistle and awarding a free kick for a dangerous tackle.
But as replays began to roll fans were left incensed as May was caught out for putting his own head into the turf.
The ugly act from May drew the ire of footy fans with many calling for the star defender to be slapped with a staging fine from the AFL’s match review officer.
Ex-AFLW star turned commentator Kate McCarthy also hit out at the move.
“This is an awful look IMO,” she tweeted. “Exactly what we are hoping NOT to see from players. Making their head hit the ground, then clutching at it. Umpires have a hard enough job, don’t be doing this crap.”
West Coast premiership player Will Schofield called for the AFL to stop the staging.
“Players holding their head after a ‘dangerous tackle’ should be immediately sent off the ground for assessment – whether they are faking or not,” he tweeted.
Fox Footy’s David Zita argued: “If Steven May isn’t given a staging fine tomorrow, there’s something wrong with the system.”
Speaking on the Fox Footy post-game, Zita said: “Staging in the guidelines is excessive exaggeration of contact in an unsportsmanlike manner. I don’t see how this doesn’t fit the criteria of staging.”
Originally published as Melbourne star bails on halftime interview as all-in brawl break outs
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