Melbourne suspend Steven May after fight with teammate

A scuffle between teammates has resulted in a Melbourne premiership star being suspended by his club.

Steven May has been suspended for a week. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Melbourne has suspended premiership defender Steven May for a week after a scuffle with teammate Jake Melksham following a team dinner last Sunday night.

The club released a statement on Tuesday morning outlining its disappointment in the All-Australian star, who was “incredibly remorseful” for the incident that happened after the pair had been drinking.

Melbourne football manager Alan Richardson confirmed May, who missed the Demons’ loss to Sydney last week due to concussion protocols, shouldn’t have been drinking.

He said the club’s leadership group had settled on the one-match suspension after a scuffle “escalated” between May and Melksham, who has played predominantly in the VFL this season.

“Following a dinner on Sunday evening, Jake and Steven informed us of a scuffle that took place after a lighthearted disagreement between the pair escalated,” Richardson said.

“Both Jake and Steven had been drinking at dinner and are incredibly remorseful that things played out the way they did.

“Given Steven is still under the AFL concussion protocols from round 11, he was aware that under club guidelines he should not have been drinking.

The club has released the following statement in regards to an incident between Steven May + Jake Melksham.

📝: https://t.co/5RMD4jGDtc

— Melbourne Demons (@melbournefc) June 7, 2022

“The leadership group has recommended to impose a one-match ban on Steven, a decision which has been endorsed by the club’s broader leadership. This will make him unavailable for both AFL and VFL selection.

“Steven and Jake will also complete community service through one of the club’s community partners to ensure they understand the responsibility and impact they have as role models within the community.

“Over the past three years, Steven has developed into one of our most important on-field leaders, and while the impact of not having him available for selection is significant, what is more significant to us is our culture and the commitment we have to live by our values.

“Steven is extremely remorseful and accepts his actions were completely out of step with the expectations the club and his teammates have of him. He accepts the sanction handed down and makes no excuse for his poor judgment.

“We are proud of the culture we have built over the past few years, and while we are disappointed with Steven’s behaviour, we back in his character and will support him to ensure he is armed to make better decisions for himself and the football club moving forward.”

Melbourne has lost its past two games after winning the opening 10 matches of the season as it looks to win back-to-back premierships.