Steven May, Melbourne’s premiership-winning defender, did not participate in Wednesday’s AFL pre-season session at the club’s training base, a development that has drawn focus as preparations for the season intensify. May is a restricted free agent at the end of the year, and his absence from the track will fuel questions about his future with the Demons.
The session, designed to build conditioning and begin team structure work, brought together most of Melbourne’s playing group while the club’s backline leadership underwent routine drills. There was no official explanation for May’s absence provided by the club at the time of reporting.
As pre-season ramps up, the Demons are balancing the demands of a push for finals with ongoing discussions around player movement and contract status. The lack of comment from club officials has left observers parsing every training update for clues about May’s intentions and how the club plans to line up in defence this year.
What we know
- May was absent from Wednesday’s pre-season session at Melbourne’s training base.
- He remains a restricted free agent heading into the off-season.
- The club has not publicly explained the reason for his absence.
- The rest of the squad attended the session, focusing on conditioning and game-plan work.
- May has been a regular in Melbourne’s backline during recent seasons.
With contract talks typically playing out behind closed doors, it is common for teams to manage early-season absences while negotiations continue. However, without confirmation, it’s unclear how this will affect May’s role in the backline this year.
What we don’t know
- The exact reason for May’s absence remains undisclosed.
- Whether he will attend upcoming sessions this week or in the near future.
- How his contract status will influence selection and negotiations moving into the season.
- Whether other players might be missing or resting as part of load management.
As the pre-season schedule unfolds, supporters will be watching closely to see whether May returns to training in the coming days and how Melbourne navigates one of its more high-profile off-season negotiations. The club will no doubt stress a steady approach while the defender’s future remains unresolved.
