Melbourne defender Steven May is under fire for exaggerating a head injury following a tackle during Saturday night’s win over North Melbourne.
Midway through the third term, May gathered a loose ball before he was set on by Kangaroo Eddie Ford.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: May receives a free kick for a dangerous tackle.
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Ford laid what looked like a fair tackle, but the pair spun around together before May crashed into the turf.
The star defender immediately grabbed his head, which may have had an impact on the umpire, who took his time before eventually paying a dangerous tackle free kick.
May was slow to get up, but ultimately unbothered and comfortably took his kick to a chorus of boos from angry North fans.
Replays showed that May’s head barely hit the ground and it was mainly his shoulder that absorbed the impact.
“It was perplexing for me. It wasn’t paid early. The umpiring really held onto it and didn’t pay it when the motion was made,” Essendon great Jobe Watson said in commentary.
Former Melbourne captain Nathan Jones agreed it shouldn’t have been a free kick.
“It’s not a free kick for mine, I don’t think there’s a genuine slinging, dumping motion. Obviously they are twisting, but I feel like his shoulder touched the ground first,” he said.
Former AFLW star and Channel 7 commentator Kate McCarthy said May’s actions were an “awful look”.
“This is an awful look IMO. Exactly what we are hoping NOT to see from players. Making their head hit the ground, then clutching at it. Umpires have a hard enough job, don’t be doing this crap,” she tweeted.
West Coast premiership player Will Schofield offered a potential solution.
“Players holding their head after a “dangerous tackle” should be immediately sent off the ground for assessment – whether they are faking or not,” he tweeted.
Experts and fans called for the premiership defender to cop a fine for staging.
“If Steven May isn’t given a staging fine tomorrow, there’s something wrong with the system,” Fox Footy tribunal expert David Zita said.
“That’s embarrassing from Steven May! Deserves to cop a massive fine and all the heat that comes his way,” one fan said.
“Steven May pretending to hit his head in that tackle should cop a very significant fine, start making serious consequences for staging and yes he’s not the only one but that was utterly disgraceful,” another fan said.
The match review officer will hand down his findings on Sunday with a big watch on whether May will be sanctioned.
Under the AFL’s official guidelines, staging can include, but is not limited to excessive exaggeration of contact in an unsportsmanlike manner.
It can be a reportable offence as it may “affect umpires’ decision-making, incite a melee and/or not be in the spirit of the game”.