"It was funny" - Steven May reveals details behind in-game chat with 'great of the game' Dustin Martin during Melbourne vs Richmond clash  

Melbourne defender Steven May revealed details of an in-game chat with Dustin Martin during their sides clash on Anzac Day Eve. Richmond Tigers and Melbourne Demons faced each other at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the annual Anzac Day Eve Match, and the Demons emerged winners after an 85-42 scoreline.

A dominant second-half display saw the Demons inflict a 43-point defeat on their AFL counterpart. Fans witnessed May and Martin go head-to-head at different moments in the game after the coach deployed Martin in a deep forward role.

Following the match, May spoke about an in-game chat with Martin, who is regarded as a 'great of the game'. He said (via Fox Footy):

“The only thing we spoke about was he’s getting into golf.

“After a goal, he asked: ‘When are you taking me for a hit?’ I didn’t know he was playing golf! It was funny.”

May also revealed he deployed a different strategy while playing against Dustin Martin, who is a three-time Norm Smith Medalist.

"You play to your strengths, but in the back of your head you’re like: ‘It’s Dusty, I better give him a bit more respect in terms of not letting him do what he wants’,” he said.

“I like to play the ball as a defender, but there’s some players you have to watch a bit more. When he’s deep in the goal square and they’re running through the corridor, you get really nervous.

“But it is an honour playing on guys like that. I’ve watched him for so long dominate and win Norm Smiths and premierships. When you’re out there rubbing shoulders with him, it’s awesome,” he added.

The Melbourne Demons have a 5-2 record and are fourth on the 2024 AFL league ranking. Meanwhile, the Richmond Tigers have suffered a slow start to the season, picking only a win in seven games, and are 17th in the table.

Why is Dustin Martin referred to as a 'great of the game'

Dustin Martin is a three-time premiership player (2017, 2019, 2020). In 2017, when he won the premiership, Norm Smith Medal, Leigh Matthews Trophy as well as the Brownlow medal, becoming the first AFL player to win all four major honors in a single season.

The 32-year-old has played 294 AFL games for the Tigers, scoring 332 goals, and is regarded as one of the greatest players in AFL history.