Lever says team reassured May he had nothing to prove after altercation with teammate Melksham
MELBOURNE defender Jake Lever has revealed how he reassured Steven May pre-game he had nothing left to prove to his teammates ahead of his return from a club-imposed suspension on Thursday night.
While May had been eager to regain the respect of his teammates following his altercation with Jake Melksham at a Prahran restaurant this month, Lever said he stressed to his fellow All-Australian that his presence alone on the field would give the Demons a significant boost.
“He’s a star,” Lever told News Corp after Melbourne smashed Brisbane Lions by 64 points to record their first victory in 34 days. “I think he (May) probably felt like he had to prove something.
“But myself and Harrison Petty spoke to him before the game and we said: ‘We’re so happy to have you back, you don’t need to do anything more than what you did in the first 10 weeks.’ He was clearly the best defender in the competition in the first 10 weeks, so to slot back in was pretty phenomenal.
“He is a man who definitely speaks out there (on the field), he yells and demands, but he leads by his action. For us, that’s all we can ask of him.
“I am glad that game is over for him and he can get on with being the best player he can be.”
May made a strong comeback in his first game since being concussed against Fremantle in round 11, the first of three successive Demons’ losses. But his return had its impact on others, including Lever, who was back to his intercepting best as one of the key Demons players alongside Jack Viney, Clayton Oliver and James Harmes.
“We definitely walk taller when he is in the team,” Lever said of May’s return to the side.
Lever detailed how injured skipper Max Gawn played a key role in the planning and preparation for the Demons’ clash with Brisbane.
“Maxy is such an important part of our football side,” he said.