Max Gawn quizzes Demons teammate Steven May about his move to Melbourne and off-field drama

Steven May has made news off the field since his trade to Melbourne. Ahead of his Queen’s Birthday comeback, he sat down to face the tough questions from teammate Max Gawn.

The drinks were flowing.

It was the Wednesday after last year’s preliminary final loss to West Coast and we were finally able to unwind a bit and enjoy each other’s company.

Multiple pots in, my phone rings.

It’s “Goody”.

Quick bit of self assessment — have I been a good boy? Despite the answer being yes, it’s still the sort of call that can get the hairs standing up.

“Max, meet at my house at 2pm tomorrow, we are catching up with Steven May,” he says.

After leaving Goody’s house on that day in late September I knew Steve was the right fit for our club.

Here was a passionate man who wants the best for himself and his family, someone who I think will take our team to where we want to be performance-wise and culture-wise.

I sat down with him this week to give people an insight into the Steve May that we have come to know at the Demons.

You’re about to play your second game for Melbourne and it’s a big one for an important cause. Are you excited to be back?

“I came down here to play in front of big crowds for a big club. I’ve been sitting here injured, frustrated, watching the big games and big crowds roll past with Anzac eve, Friday nights and so on. I was doing everything I could so that I wouldn’t miss this one.”

Steven May returns to the Melbourne side this week.

Have you heard of Queen’s Birthday game and what the MND game means to our club?

“This was a game I always watched. We use to train at Gold Coast earlier on the Monday so we could watch the game.

“It’s such a good cause and always a competitive game no matter where the teams are on the ladder. Sitting there listening to Neale Daniher speak on Wednesday, it put things into

perspective for me.

“I’ve had a bad run, but some of his points around character really resonated with me. The one that has really stuck is ‘Hard times come and go, but how you go about it from a character point of view won’t’.’

“He is a selfless man trying to preach the importance of selfless versus selfish. Nothing can be done with selfish people and is so true in our industry. He is the definition of selfless.”

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Steve May, the leader?

“I’ve seen it from both sides. I was a young player, then a young leader, then a young vice-captain, then a captain and now I’m a player again.

“So this means I can relate to both the leaders and the guys who aren’t in leadership positions and due to my experience of both I can help relay the messages from both parties.

“I’m a different sort of leader and base a lot of my leadership on my relationships with players and how I perform on-field.

“It’s been tough since I came here because I’d like to have the runs on the board, but the boys respect what I have to say.”

Steven May directs traffic for the Casey Demons. Picture: Michael Klein

Talk about pint-gate.

“It wasn’t the highlight of my career, but it’s not the worst thing I’ve done, either.

“I made a poor choice and, in hindsight, I should’ve run it past the leaders because I was battling.

“I think the overarching message I have sent is that despite appearing to be some sort of tough full-back and a male, that I still have feelings and I’m still able to open up to a mate about how I’m feeling. That is something I’m really proud off, I just missed a couple of steps that I now know I should’ve ticked off.

“I had questioned whether to come to training or even leave the house, but I picked up the phone and requested help. It seemed like everything was caving in on me, I wasn’t thinking straight, I apologised and now I’m in a much better space at and away from the club.”

Don’t worry, we have all been there. Ever had a dart on the way to training?

“(Laughs) Nah, I’m not a smoker.”

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We just made the trip up to Darwin. That’s your home town. Hearing you speak about your family, I know how much both Darwin and your family means to you.

“I was doing everything I could to get back for this game and all my family and friends now barrack for Melbourne. My family means everything to me, they have really struggled in recent times and sacrificed so much for me to get to where I am.

“When I make mistakes or lose games, it’s not just me that feels it, they all do as well. This is what motivates me; I play footy for them, I go in hard at every contest for them.

“I did move my family to the Gold Coast a couple of months before I left to Melbourne, which I feel bad for. I play that father figure role for all my brothers and sisters.

“My mum is a star and incredibly supportive of all my decisions. I love her.”

We all suspect why you have gone and got a cute Bulldog. Does it involve being newly single?

“(Laughs) No comment.”

If I can go back a few years, I was initially worried for Stefan Martin’s safety when you ran into him. But once I heard he was all right I watched it over and over again. I love Stef and I’m still great pals with him. Anything you want me to pass on?

“It was my longest suspension and it probably deserved the five weeks. It was just a tad too high.

“But I wasn’t trying to line him up like all the social media trolls thought I was. I was getting ready for his big frame to come at me, but he never turned and instead stood front-on.

“I felt so bad when it happened, but a phone call from Stef was reassuring and everything is OK now.”

Steven May cleans up Stefan Martin in the 2016 Q-Clash.