AFL premiership stars Steven May and Dion Prestia have been questioned and released pending further investigation into their alleged involvement in a brawl in Sorrento over the Christmas holiday period.
Victoria Police on Monday morning released a statement confirming a 33-year-old man from Mt Eliza (May) and a 32-year-old man from Hawthorn (Prestia), as well as a 26-year-old Blairgowrie man, had been interviewed in relation to a fight that broke out on streets near Sorrento’s Continental Hotel in December last year.
Police said they’d conducted the interviews after receiving a report “about a physical altercation between two groups of men on Point Nepean Road at about 2am”.
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Two men, as a result of the brawl, were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. One male claimed he was left with a broken eye socket, detached retina and fractured nose, while another man was injured.
May and Prestia were alleged to have been present at a brawl.
The former Suns teammates are reported to have been celebrating the buck’s party of a mutual friend at Hotel Sorrento on the evening of Boxing Day, before making their way collectively to the Continental Hotel just before midnight. It is there where the altercation they are alleged to have been involved in took place.
May and Prestia have both strongly denied any wrongdoing.
May’s club, Melbourne, provided multiple outlets with the following one-sentence statement after reports of the altercation surfaced: “It is the role of police to check the veracity of any complaint, and we will assist where required.”
Richmond has referred media back to its December statement, which read: “Prestia saw it happening but in no way was he involved. They weren’t involved in any physical altercation.”
Police in March acknowledged that an official report had been made and that investigations into the circumstances of the incident were ongoing.
On Monday morning, police stated the aforementioned trio were “expected to be charged on summons”, with 7 News reporting the investigation had “ramped up” in recent weeks — a statement that was amended later in the day.
“Mornington Peninsula Crime Investigation Unit detectives have interviewed three men as part of their investigation into an affray in Sorrento on 27 December,” police began in the initial statement.
“The interviews follow a report to police.
“Two men were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries at the time.
“A 32-year-old man from Hawthorn, a 33-year-old man from Mount Eliza and a 26-year-old Blairgowrie man have all been interviewed in relation to the incident.
“The trio are expected to be charged on summons.”
However, that statement was updated on Monday afternoon, revealing the three men had been released following questioning.
“Mornington Peninsula Crime Investigation Unit detectives have interviewed three men as part of their investigation into an affray in Sorrento on 27 December last year,” the new communication read.
“The interviews follow a report to police about a physical altercation between two groups of men on Point Nepean Road about 2am.
“Two men were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries at the time.
“A 32-year-old man from Hawthorn, a 33-year-old man from Mount Eliza and a 26-year-old Blairgowrie man were all interviewed and released pending further enquiries.
“The investigation remains ongoing.”
Both Prestia and May began their AFL careers in 2011 at the Gold Coast Suns before returning to Victoria.
May was traded to the Demons after the 2018 season before earning back-to-back All-Australian selections and playing a key role in the Demons’ 2021 premiership.
Prestia joined Richmond ahead of the 2017 season then played in all three Tigers premiership sides while also claiming the 2019 best and fairest award.
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