‘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


Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
The three things Freo and Eagles MUST get out of the derby
FLAGMANTLE IS OFFICIALLY BACK!!!!!!! Saturday's western derby is about more than the four points as Fremantle continue their quest to finish as high up on the ladder as possible and West Coast hope to make major advances in their re-build. Here's three things both teams will be looking for when the ball is bounced. FREMANTLE Get percentage: Fremantle have done a brilliant job to set up their season and become a genuine top-four contender by winning eight of their past nine games. But now they have to seize upon their chance to build percentage because that's where they're vulnerable on the ladder. The Dockers' percentage is 108.9, which is clearly the lowest of the top nine clubs. Fremantle are still paying the price for the 78-point loss to Geelong in round one and the 61-point mid-season mauling from St Kilda. This is an opportunity to make a gigantic gain. Adelaide beat West Coast by 66 points. Gold Coast won by 87 points. GWS got two cracks at West Coast and walked away with 81 and 59-point victories. Hawthorn won by 50 points. Other finalists have grabbed their opportunity. The Eagles have averaged 55 points per game across their past six matches. If Fremantle restrict them to that score and win by 10 goals, their percentage will rise to 112.7. But if they only win by five goals, that percentage will be 110.3. It's a big difference. Fremantle sing the song after beating Collingwood. Credit: Robert Cianflone / Getty Images Get Hayden Young firing: It took just over one quarter last week for Dockers fans to get the perfect reminder of how important Hayden Young is to the team. He came on as the sub against Collingwood and ripped them apart with his kicking. An elite midfield kick was the missing piece to the Fremantle puzzle. The more game time Young can build, the more they can get the ball into his hands and the more they can work out the best way to use his skills, the better this team can become. Remember, he's barely played with Shai Bolton. We've rarely seen him kicking to the three-pronged forward line of Josh Treacy, Jye Amiss and Pat Voss. Every minute matters when building chemistry. Fremantle star Hayden Young. Credit: Michael Willson/AFL Photos / AFL Photos via Getty Images Depth guys cement their spots: Fremantle have been winning while key players have been unavailable. But their injury list is shrinking and coach Justin Longmuir will soon have a big list of stars to choose from. Once Alex Pearce, Nat Fyfe, Matthew Johnson, Corey Wagner and Cooper Simpson are available, Fremantle will have immense depth. Nobody wants to be the guy standing up when the game of musical chairs ends. Josh Draper, Brandon Walker and Jeremy Sharp are Fremantle's emergencies for the derby. Isaiah Dudley and Neil Erasmus have just come into the team. It's getting damn hard to get a game each week. Neil Erasmus is back. Credit: Janelle St Pierre/AFL Photos / AFL Photos via Getty Images WEST COAST Harley Show: All eyes will be on Harley Reid this week. They're on him most of the time anyway. But when his manager flew into town to ask for a record-breaking contract, the focus on the 2023 No.1 draft pick rose even further. Reid was brilliant in the first half against Richmond last week. If he can produce a game like he did in the first derby of 2024, then the pressure will mount on the Eagles to give him that massive deal. If he has a quiet afternoon, the pressure will turn to Harley and questions will be asked about why he's asking for so much. There's no middle ground when it comes to big contracts. Eagles fans are partly living in the now and partly living in the future because that's the life of a re-building team. So they want to be entertained, inspired and given hope that they can rise up the ladder. Harley Reid is their beacon of hope. Harley Reid celebrates. Credit: Jackson Flindell / The West Australian Find a player on the big stage: There's a big difference between standing up in a regular home-and-away game and performing well in a derby. There will be more than 50,000 fans at the game and the only time the Eagles have seen that size crowd this year was during their home derby. This time they'll be mainly wearing purple. Several of West Coast's youngsters have had breakout moments this season. Think of Jobe Shanahan against Collingwood, Tom McCarthy against Carlton and Elijah Hewett against Essendon. But a derby is different. If you can stand up when the derby spotlight is shining, you are putting a stake in the ground for your future. Elijah Hewett in action. Credit: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos / AFL Photos via Getty Images Perform in Perth: West Coast's last three games at Optus Stadium have been appalling. They trailed by 39 points at quarter-time against Carlton and coach Andrew McQualter called them pathetic. They turned a 57-point deficit into a 34-point loss that night. Then the Eagles got demolished by 59 points against Greater Western Sydney. That was ugly. Last week, fans went to Optus Stadium with hope and walked away shattered when West Coast lost to Richmond by 49 points. It'll be a pro-Freo crowd, but the Eagles fans who manage to get tickets can't afford a repeat of those types of efforts.

ABC News
3 hours ago
- ABC News
AFL Round 20 Saturday live updates: Suns vs Lions, Dockers vs Eagles, Kangaroos vs Cats, Crows vs Power blog, scores and stats
It's Rivalry Saturday in the AFL, starting with the Suns hosting the Lions in a crucial Q-Clash at Carrara. Next up will be the Dockers hosting the Eagles at Perth Stadium in the Western Derby, as Fremantle attempts to consolidate their place ahead of September. Then tonight, the Crows and the Power meet at Adelaide Oval, as Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley leads his team for one last Showdown. Docklands is the venue for the other game today, with the Kangaroos hosting Geelong. Follow the live blog below, keep up to date with all the latest stats in our ScoreCentre, and tune in to our live radio coverage.


Perth Now
7 hours ago
- Perth Now
St Kilda hope booming star can cause more nightmares
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera is "booming" but St Kilda coach Ross Lyon says the star alone can't lift the Saints to the promised land. Wanganeen-Milera has quickly built a reputation as one of the AFL's best rebounding defenders. But the 22-year-old showed what a weapon he could be in the midfield last week with 36 disposals, 10 clearances and two goals in a 31-point loss to Geelong. Lyon indicated Wanganeen-Milera will again be deployed in the midfield for Sunday's clash with Melbourne at Marvel Stadium. St Kilda face a fight to retain the out-of-contract speedster, who is set to field massive offers from rival clubs. But even if the Saints do hold onto him, Lyon knows there's still plenty of work to do to get them into premiership mode. "Naz is booming. Obviously he's an exciting player, but it's a weakest link game, not a strongest link," Lyon said. "We're not basketball, when one player can dominate and take you to a championship. "We need an even spread of contribution." A few weeks ago, Hawthorn tried several taggers on Wanganeen-Milera, with little success. It even led Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell to joke that he would be having nightmares about the star Saint. "Even when he was on the bench I was worried about him by the end," Mitchell joked. Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin says he will contemplate sending a tagger to Wanganeen-Milera this Sunday. "Clearly teams have had some success in tagging him but he still plays to a pretty high level," Goodwin said. "Last week you saw Geelong just back their system in and got a pretty positive result as well. "He's an incredible player. We'll be prepared for both but we probably won't give the Saints too much of a heads up about what we're going to do." Both St Kilda (5-13) and Melbourne (6-12) are well and truly out of the finals race. The Saints have recalled Zak Jones, Lance Collard and Arie Schoenmaker, with Lyon making the big call to drop Liam Henry. Max Heath also goes out of the side, with Darcy Wilson ruled out due to concussion. The Demons welcome back Tom Sparrow and Harrison Petty from concussion, while Charlie Spargo and Blake Howes also return. Steven May, who will contest his three-match ban at the AFL Appeals board next week, is out with concussion, while the axe fell on Koltyn Tholstrup, Harry Sharp and Matthew Jefferson.