In the aftermath of last weekend’s victory over North Melbourne, the focus centred around Charlie Dixon’s seven-goal haul and Gary Ablett’s brilliant return to the game. One player who generated less fanfare was Steven May. A player who influenced the outcome as much as Dixon, according to Gold Coast SUNS defense coach Dean Solomon.
 
May has endured a frustrating year with injury curtailing his pre-season late in the piece, before a three-game suspension stopped his season before it had even got going after his controversial bump on Brisbane captain Tom Rockliff. The key defender returned against Hawthorn in round nine, holding Jarryd Roughead goalless, before being substituted out the next week with an adductor strain.
 
The Northern Territorian’s job on Kangaroo veteran Drew Petrie was a look in the rear vision mirror. A glance at some of his best performances last year that saw him emerge as one of the best young key defenders in the game. On Saturday night, May’s contest-altering fist was everywhere. He blanketed Petrie before supporting his teammates in aerial contests to finish with 14 spoils.
 
“We thought he played as good a game as Charlie Dixon. When it came to the coaches meeting, we obviously have votes and we had him on par with Charlie, so that’s how important we thought his role and the way he played the game on Saturday,” Solomon told ABC Grandstand’s Northern Frontier program on Wednesday.
 
Solomon revealed that May’s scalps don’t come by luck. Rather, the Melbourne Grammar product is diligent with his preparation each week, spending time going through the tape on potential opponents to find chinks in their armour – opportunities to nullify the opposition’s most influential forward.
 
“He’s a real student of the game. He’s one of the first to come in and review his game individually. And going into games he’s very thorough in the way that he researches his potential opponents,” Solomon said.
 
“He breaks them right down and he finds two or three key points he thinks he can expose them on. He goes out and executes them quite well.”
 
In the last fortnight, May has reminded the football landscape how much of a defensive weapon he can be. His importance was most apparent during his absence with a young Gold Coast back six crying out for someone to set them up and to provide leadership when times get tough.
 
With just 62 games next to his name, May plays with an aura that belies his experience. But it’s a fact not lost on Solomon, who believes May can become one of the best defenders in the game if he applies himself to his craft. Not that there is a question on his work ethic, but it is something that has got him to where he is today.  
 
“It’s all generated from Steven; his hard work has got him to where he is today,” Solomon said.
 
“Let’s not underestimate how much more hard work there is for him ahead; he’s still got to become a really consistent AFL footballer. But he has got the potential to become a really, really good player.”