Melbourne's Steven May Suspended Three Matches for AFL Collision

Melbourne defender Steven May has been suspended for three matches following a controversial collision with Carlton's Francis Evans, which resulted in Evans suffering a concussion, a broken nose, and a chipped tooth. The AFL Tribunal found May guilty of rough conduct, ruling that despite the short reaction window of approximately 0.56 seconds from the ball's final bounce, May had sufficient time to react or alter his trajectory to avoid or lessen the collision. Tribunal chair Jeff Gleeson emphasized that May could and should have anticipated not arriving at the ball first and taken steps to minimize impact, noting May made no effort to change his path or body position. May pleaded not guilty, arguing he expected to reach the ball first and was shocked by the unusual bounce favoring Evans, but the tribunal sided with AFL counsel Andrew Woods who advocated for the ban. May himself was concussed in the same match and expressed gratitude for the tribunal's scheduling accommodation. The case has ignited debate about player safety and the interpretation of reaction times in fast-paced AFL contests.