Overview

• Steven May was referred directly to the AFL Tribunal by Match Review Officer Michael Christian, who classified the third-quarter collision as careless conduct with severe impact and high contact.
• May faces a minimum three-match ban if found guilty but will already miss Melbourne’s next game against St Kilda after sustaining a concussion later in the match.
• Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin and Carlton coach Michael Voss both maintain May’s intent was to contest the loose ball rather than to injure Evans.
• Pundits including David King have called for a lengthy suspension to reinforce the AFL’s evolving duty-of-care standards in split-second contests.
• The tribunal’s decision is widely viewed as a potential precedent for how the AFL adjudicates head-contact incidents under its tightened concussion protocols.