May’s day to mark a top ton
STEVEN May had to ask Rodney Eade if his 100th game was considered a milestone.
But the veteran Suns coach is cconvinced the Gold Coast co-captain will bring up plenty more magis numbers before his AFL career ends.
“I’d made mention in my first year here that 50 games is not much of a milestone and I think the players were a bit shocked because they were all at that age and getting 50,” Eade said ahead of May’s 100th fame tomorrow.
“Now he has a 100 he said is that milestone? I said yeah it is mate. Now he has to aim for 150. He has the capability of getting to 250 if he keeps himself in pretty good shape and he’s developing into a pretty good player.”
May has grown exponentially both on and off the field during Eade’s three years at the helm of the club to become captain alongside Tom Lynch as well as one of the AFL’s premier defenders.
“He has been skipper – the backbone – and from where he has come from and what he was like as a boy he’s done a great job,” Eade said.
“I have only been involved with him for three years but he’s certainly matured very quickly. In my first year he didn’t get a vote to be in the leadership group and then the second year he got the third or fourth most votes to be in the leadership group.
“He grew really quickly and then through last year you could see he had leadership qualities.”
The 25-year-old said that it was a privilege to reach 100 games and he was now focused on continuing to find improvements in his game.
“I’m extremely proud to have made it to 100 games,” May said.
“I’ve probably only played 40 good games so I’m pretty lucky I got a few games early in my career. But now I’m starting to feel like a legitimate AFL player and that I certainly belong in the team.
“I think after 100 games you start to really come of age a bit and cement yourself as a good player in the competition and that’s one of my goals.
“I have a lot of work to do but with a 100 games ... I have to set new goals.”
Meanwhile, Ryan Davis and Matt Rosa have been brought into the side for the Kangaroos game. Matt Shaw, Jesse Joyce and Darcy Macpherson have all been dropped.
Gold Coast elevated Davis to the senior list as a mid-season rookie upgrade.
Davis was taken by the Suns at the end of 2015 as a mature aged rookie who spent six seasons at West Coast.
The 28-year-old played 19 games in his first year at the Suns last season as a forward and has recently been developing as a halfback for the club’s NEAFL team this year.