Steven May suspended for five matches by AFL tribunal for bump on Stefan Martin

STEVEN May has copped a 5-match suspension for his brutal bump on Stefan Martin in the QClash. RECAP THE TRIBUNAL HEARING

STEFAN Martin told Steven May not to beat himself up over the shirt front that knocked-out the Lions ruckman but the AFL tribunal were less forgiving when they handed out a five-match suspension.

The Suns’ finals aspirations are now in disarray with May to miss matches against North Melbourne, Geelong, Melbourne, GWS and Adelaide. His absence leaves the Suns to find a makeshift key defender to play on some of the competition’s best forwards in Jarrad Waite, Tom Hawkins, Jesse Hogan, Jeremy Cameron and Taylor Walker. The 22-year-old pleaded guilty and his advocate Tony Burns argued for a four-match ban, while AFL QC Jeff Gleeson demanded a minimum of five. Gleeson’s push for the bump to be deemed intentional, which could have significantly increased the penalty was rejected. However’s Burn’s countermove that the potential to cause serious injury be given minimal consideration because that risk was present in every contest in a football game was also overruled by tribunal chairman Ross Howie. May’s remorse and his apologies to Martin were taken into consideration. “His apology was genuine and his remorse was genuine, his attemps to contact martin were commendable and they should all act in his favour,” Gleeson told the jury. May was accompanied by football manager Marcus Ashcroft who played 318 games without being reported. May revealed when he saw the replay on the Gabba big screen he told the Lions players to do what they wanted to because he had stuffed up and he had no case. He said Martin had responded to a text by saying he accepted his apology and not to “beat himself up” over the incident. He told the tribunal that in hindsight the correct course of action would have been to go for the ball. “I reckon I probably could have picked up the ball, but it was because ‘Gaz’ and Stef were about to contest the ball that I decided to bump,” May told the Tribunal. “I just decided that they’re running with the ball and if I could take Martin out and block him ‘Gaz’ would have a free run at the ball. “It was the wrong decision.” After close to an hour and a half of presentations from both parties, the jury of Wayne Henwood, Shane Wakelin and Stewart Loewe took just under 10 minutes to make their deliberations. May has now been found guilty five times by the MRP and tribunal and been handed a total of nine weeks in suspensions.