‘Picked off' or ‘not that bad'? The hit dividing football - and why it will decide the game's future
May later suffered a concussion of his own when Tom De Koning accidentally kneed him in the head during a last-quarter marking contest, so he will miss Sunday's match against St Kilda anyway.
Comparable recent cases
In May, the tribunal cleared Fremantle captain Alex Pearce after the Dockers successfully argued against Christian's careless classification for his collision with Port Adelaide's Darcy Byrne-Jones.
Pearce's case differed from May's in that it was an aerial collision in a marking contest, but there were similarities in how Pearce arrived second to the ball and took his eyes off it at the last second to brace for contact.
Pearce's legal team did not challenge the classifications of severe impact and high contact.
They argued Pearce's actions were reasonable, with the veteran defender stressing he was making a genuine attempt to complete a chest mark at the point of collision.
However, the case involving North Melbourne's Jackson Archer in March could also be relevant.
Archer's three-game ban for his role in a collision that concussed Western Bulldog Luke Cleary was upheld at the tribunal, after the match review officer graded the Roo's actions as careless, severe impact and high contact.
North's defence focused on Cleary's decision to go to ground to collect the ball, rather than stay on his feet.
Tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson acknowledged that rules encouraged players to keep their feet, but said that did not always happen and 'players need to be aware', saying Archer had 'slowed too little and too late'.
What others are saying
Former Hawk Isaac Smith's take on May's actions contrasts greatly with King.
Speaking on Nine's Sunday Footy Show, Smith argued that May should not be suspended and that Evans' injuries were an unfortunate consequence of playing a contact sport.
'The only thing I can see the MRO picking up is that he didn't stay low, and he came up a couple of steps before he got to the contest – and that's what caused the impact,' Smith said.
'It's a line-ball one, and it's going to be fascinating to see where it ends up. I feel for Steven May here because I feel like he was contesting the ball and obviously, Evans is a smaller player to what he is.
'I think you can see him getting no weeks, or you can see him getting four weeks. The more I look at it, I think no weeks ... you look at the Alex Pearce one, [and] May has not done anything to initiate that contact.'
Triple M's breakfast crew, including ex-St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt, grilled Gawn on the May case on Monday.
Gawn was adamant that May did not bump Evans, but that he was 'never going to take a backward step'.
'Whatever happens, will be the precedent. I understand you've got to look after the head, but it's going to be an interesting tribunal case. I might actually watch it,' Gawn said.
'I came in to defend [May] a little bit when it first happened, and the Carlton boys weren't really remonstrating, and then we all had a look at the ground and the guy's tooth was missing, so it was, 'OK, maybe I can't defend 'Maysy' '.
'Then we watched the replay, and we were like, 'Actually, it's not that bad', and the Carlton boys still didn't remonstrate, really, so it's a tough one.'
Riewoldt, who did not believe May's actions were 'malicious', added that the Blues' eventual reaction was 'almost like out of obligation'.
'If he does get rubbed out, then essentially what we're saying is ... players have to be able to calculate from 20 metres away; the speed the other player is going, the speed you're going to be going, and the fact you're going to arrive a microsecond late,' Riewoldt said.
Carlton forward Harry McKay said Nova that it was a 'nasty incident' but that no player would intentionally hit an opponent in the head.
Former greats James Hird and Jimmy Bartel had sympathy for May but expect him to receive a suspension.
Loading
'This is a really difficult one,' Hird said.
'If he had have stayed a little bit lower and kept his eye totally on the ball, he would be OK. But at the last split-second, he comes up, and his eyes go off the ball, which is why I think it will be three weeks.
'I don't think he has gone out on purpose to hurt anybody. Five years ago, it wouldn't have got weeks. But the rules have changed and unfortunately, for him, his shoulder gets him in the head.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
A social media threat to Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin will go unpunished after an AFL investigation
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin opted against the AFL taking any further action after the league's Integrity Unit investigated an online threat made in the wake of the Demons last quarter capitulation against St Kilda on Sunday. Two goals in the final 60 seconds to Saint Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, including one after the siren, sealed the biggest three-quarter-time comeback in AFL history and consigned the Demons to a famous defeat. As he was conducting his post-match press conference, a post from an anonymous account on X included an image of a ute in a car park and a chilling caption. 'I'm currently waiting outside Simon Goodwin's car: Don't fret, Melbourne fans you won't need to worry any further,' the post read. It came after a Collingwood member was banned from the AFL, and MCG, for five years after posting a message on the ground's anti-social behaviour hotline about Carlton coach Michael Voss. Melbourne made the AFL Integrity Unit aware of the post but confirmed on Monday there would be no further action, confirming the car in the photo did not belong to Goodwin and it wasn't taken in the Marvel Stadium car park. 'The AFL Integrity Unit has investigated the reported tweet regarding Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin post-game,' the league said in a statement. 'The image posted was not Goodwin's car, nor was it from Marvel Stadium. 'Goodwin has been consulted and does not wish to take the matter further, and there is currently no further action from Victoria Police. 'The AFL is currently working with the platform 'X' to help identify the owner of the account.' Melbourne captain Max Gawn defended Goodwin, who is now in the spotlight after the loss, and said the players were to blame to the chaotic finish. He also said Goodwin, the 2021 premiership winning coach who is contracted for another season, had hit support. 'He's my favourite coach and he's a premiership coach, Gawn said. 'I find him extremely smart tactically and, in the end, he's had us 50-points up against St Kilda, a team that we were down by 50 [points] in Alice Springs. He's in it with us, but the last quarter is not solely on him,' Gawn said.


West Australian
2 hours ago
- West Australian
Fremantle Dockers forward Murphy Reid rated equal best on ground by coaches during western derby
Exciting Fremantle youngster Murphy Reid would have tied for the Glendinning-Allan Medal if Justin Longmuir and Andrew McQualter were voting for the award after the western derby on Saturday. In another boost for his AFL Rising Star hopes, Reid polled eight votes for his 23 disposals, 15 score involvements and one goal. The half-forward finished third in Glendinning-Allan Medal voting behind Hayden Young and Andrew Brayshaw, but the AFL Coaches Association votes told a different story. Longmuir and McQualter were required to submit votes on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis and Reid was locked with Young on eight votes. While individual voting remains confidential, one coach gave Reid five votes and the other handed him three. Brayshaw and Michael Frederick both received six votes, while Caleb Serong and Shai Bolton had one vote each. Reid has had a wonderful first season in the AFL and is one of the favourites to win the Rising Star award. He is competing with Adelaide's Daniel Curtin and Brisbane's Levi Ashcroft for that prize. Longmuir said Reid's consistency had set him apart from the other contenders this season when speaking after the win and defender Jordan Clark said his teammate reminded him of Collingwood superstar Scott Pendlebury. 'It sounds like a bit unrealistic comparing him to Scotty Pendlebury but he is a player like that who is not blessed with super speed but he sees the game and is very sharp in his mind,' Clark told The West Australian. 'He sees the game very well and he's very clean. I think he did watch a lot of Scotty Pendlebury growing up, so he's a very classy little player. I think he's got a lovely mix that works for him. 'I don't want to use it loosely and it's probably disrespecting Scotty Pendlebury in a way because he's one of the greatest players in the game. 'But you watch him and he's in positions where you think someone shouldn't get out of that, but he does. He's not a fast bloke, he's not massively built, he's just clever and classy. I think he thinks and sees the game ahead before people see what is going to happen.' Collingwood's Nick Daicos extended his lead for the AFLCA award with a best on ground performance against Richmond. Noah Anderson is now four votes behind him after picking up eight votes in Gold Coast's win over Brisbane, Serong has dropped from third to fourth after Geelong's Bailey Smith overtook him and is now 14 votes behind Daicos with four games remaining.


Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Reid deserved BOG medal, according to one derby coach
Exciting Fremantle youngster Murphy Reid would have tied for the Glendinning-Allan Medal if Justin Longmuir and Andrew McQualter were voting for the award after the western derby on Saturday. In another boost for his AFL Rising Star hopes, Reid polled eight votes for his 23 disposals, 15 score involvements and one goal. The half-forward finished third in Glendinning-Allan Medal voting behind Hayden Young and Andrew Brayshaw, but the AFL Coaches Association votes told a different story. Longmuir and McQualter were required to submit votes on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis and Reid was locked with Young on eight votes. While individual voting remains confidential, one coach gave Reid five votes and the other handed him three. Brayshaw and Michael Frederick both received six votes, while Caleb Serong and Shai Bolton had one vote each. Reid has had a wonderful first season in the AFL and is one of the favourites to win the Rising Star award. He is competing with Adelaide's Daniel Curtin and Brisbane's Levi Ashcroft for that prize. Murphy Reid celebrates. Credit: Janelle St Pierre/AFL Photos / Getty Images Longmuir said Reid's consistency had set him apart from the other contenders this season when speaking after the win and defender Jordan Clark said his teammate reminded him of Collingwood superstar Scott Pendlebury. 'It sounds like a bit unrealistic comparing him to Scotty Pendlebury but he is a player like that who is not blessed with super speed but he sees the game and is very sharp in his mind,' Clark told The West Australian. 'He sees the game very well and he's very clean. I think he did watch a lot of Scotty Pendlebury growing up, so he's a very classy little player. I think he's got a lovely mix that works for him. 'I don't want to use it loosely and it's probably disrespecting Scotty Pendlebury in a way because he's one of the greatest players in the game. 'But you watch him and he's in positions where you think someone shouldn't get out of that, but he does. He's not a fast bloke, he's not massively built, he's just clever and classy. I think he thinks and sees the game ahead before people see what is going to happen.' Fremantle won the western derby. Credit: Ian Munro / The West Australian Collingwood's Nick Daicos extended his lead for the AFLCA award with a best on ground performance against Richmond. Noah Anderson is now four votes behind him after picking up eight votes in Gold Coast's win over Brisbane, Serong has dropped from third to fourth after Geelong's Bailey Smith overtook him and is now 14 votes behind Daicos with four games remaining.