Melbourne veteran Steven May absent from training after police visit

Melbourne defender Steven May was absent from club training on Wednesday, just days after he was reportedly visited by police.

According to reports from The AgeMay was not seen at Dees training, with the club yet to provide an explanation.

News Corp reported on Friday that 34-year-old was visited by police at his home.

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The report stresses that May was not arrested and that the call to police was made by someone close to him.

Players were given a four-day break from Friday until Wednesday, when players returned and took the field to continue preparations for the 2026 season.

May, along with Richmond midfielder Dion Prestia, were hit with charges of affray following a 2024 brawl in Sorrento. Both men are fighting the charges.

The veteran defender was told to look for a new home in last year's trade period by Melbourne, but ultimately ended up staying for the final year of his contract.

May was a key cog in Melbourne's 2021 premiership campaign, and their success in that era, making All-Australian teams in 2021 and 2022.

His career has come with controversy, however.

In 2022, he got into a fight with teammate Jake Melksham at a prominent Victorian restaurant, that left the forward requiring hand surgery.

Last season May was seen yelling at captain Max Gawn on the field after a narrow loss to Collingwood.

Speaking on Monday, Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes questioned whether May was still worth keeping around, as the Demons enter a new era under coach Steven King.

"When is a player too much trouble? I speak of Steven May," Cornes told SEN.

"I'm certainly not going to say he's guilty of anything, but it's just another news story in relation to a player that has been nothing but trouble for a fair time now.

"He was on the trade table in the off-season, and at 34 his form doesn't warrant this amount of trouble. I think you're prepared to put up with a level of off-field distraction if your form is good.

"Geelong are pretty happy to put up with Bailey Smith's off-field distractions because his form is pretty good. Steven May is nowhere near that level anymore and with the fact they've moved on from Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca, it feels like a bit of a new footy club with a new coach ... but we've still got this guy causing issues off-field.

"When the club is trying for a fresh start, to try and rebuild a culture that was very much questionable, they've moved on from Simon Goodwin, Oliver and Petracca - yet Steven May is still occupying real estate in then Herald Sun for things unrelated to football."

May has played 251 games for Gold Coast and now Melbourne across his 15-year career.