Melbourne Demons settle privacy lawsuit with Steven May’s partner Sachi Dade; Geelong Cats coach Chris Scott explains stance on Tyson Stengle
Updated ,first published
In today’s AFL Briefing:
- Melbourne settles case with partner of retired premiership player Steven May
- Geelong coach Chris Scott says the Cats’ empathy for Tyson Stengle can only go so far
- Inspiring Crow Chelsea Randall retires after series of head knocks
- ICYMI, read it Peter Ryan’s performance in Round 16 at Four Points.
Melbourne have reached a settlement with Steven May’s partner Sachi Dade, who took legal action against the Demons after allegedly sharing sensitive information about their relationship.
Coach Steven King, who was present at a February Microsoft Teams meeting with player partners at the center of Dade’s case, confirmed the settlement on Monday night and the club later issued an apology.
King told Seven’s: “This is something we did wrong as a club. We meant well but if we had time again I think we would have accepted it was a mistake and probably shouldn’t have done it.” Agenda Setters.
Dade was suing Melbourne, King and football boss Alan Richardson in the Federal Court, alleging they made a serious invasion of his privacy following a police welfare check at the home he shared with the retired premiership defender in January.
He had claimed that the club’s actions had caused “emotional distress, embarrassment, psychiatric harm and pain” and subjected him to “rumours, personal ridicule and public humiliation”.
Melbourne apologized to Dade, saying: “In February 2026, the Melbourne Football Club leadership team disclosed personal and sensitive information about Ms Dade. We accept that this was inappropriate and constituted a serious invasion of her privacy.”
“… Our senior leaders, including the board, the new CEO and our leaders in the football department, are committed to taking all necessary steps to ensure this does not happen again. We sincerely apologize to Ms. Dade and her family for the pain, distress and impact our actions have caused.”
Asked if he would speak to Dade personally, King said: “I’ll wait and see what the club wants us to do in that respect, but now the agreement has been reached so we’ll move forward.”
Agenda Setters reported that the financial settlement included an apology.
‘We’re not a charity’: Scott explains Cats’ stance on Stengle
Geelong coach Chris Scott has revealed there is “a limit” to the support he can offer Geelong away forward Tyson Stengle as he looks to restart his AFL career.
Stengle kicked four goals in his only VFL game this season on June 13 but did not fly to Queensland to play against Southport the following week.
The Cats have been patient as the 27-year-old struggles to join the program this season, but are also mindful of the obligations he has under his current contract, which runs until the end of 2029.
He has not played a senior match since last year’s grand final and has taken a leave of absence from the pre-season programme.
Scott, a strong supporter of Stengle, spoke more fully to reporters on Monday about the club’s position on the premiership forward, who has scored 160 goals in 93 games for the Cats.
“I have great admiration for players who can endure the ups and downs as well as they do,” Scott said.
“It’s a bit of a surprise to me that there aren’t more players saying, ‘Look, I’m finding this very difficult right now.’
“That’s how Tyson feels about his football life at the moment; everything is a bit difficult for him.
“There are limits to our support for this, because we think: ‘Hey man, we empathize with you; this is a tough game.’ But there are limits to where our empathy can take us, because we’re not as much of a charity as we’d like to be.”
Scott said it was out of his hands to make any decisions about when Stengle would start the next game because the striker is nowhere near senior selection in 2026.
He also stressed that the club would continue to support Stengle in any way it could, but said the club’s best interests and ability to compete would be the top concern in the decision-making process.
“The genuine priority we place on player welfare should not be confused with forgetting that we are also in a high-performance industry where we have high expectations of our players and staff to deliver the best performance possible,” Scott said.
Stengle made a notable return to football when he was named an All-Australian in 2022 after kicking 53 goals in his first season for the Cats. He performed consistently over the next three seasons but struggled to meet the demands of the game in 2026.
Scott also stated that Tom Stewart and Bailey Smith are likely to return for Thursday night’s game against the Brisbane Lions.
Meanwhile, the Swans will be without key forward Joel Amartey for the next 10 weeks after he suffered a partial rupture of his Achilles tendon against Brisbane, leaving him doubtful for the remainder of the season.
Triple premiership captain forced to retire due to concussion problems
Ongoing concussion problems have forced one of the AFLW’s most decorated players, Adelaide’s Chelsea Randall, into retirement.
Randall, a five-time All-Australian and three-time premiership captain, continues to have problems from multiple concussions.
The 35-year-old player, who captained the Crows for eight seasons, says he is saddened by his retirement but made this decision considering his health and family.
“I will miss the sheer joy that playing gave me,” Randall said Monday.
“I will miss competing at the highest level, sharing the game with my teammates, and playing in front of our members and fans.
“I am incredibly grateful to Adelaide Football Club… I am also incredibly grateful to the AFLW competition as a whole.
“It has been an honor and one of the greatest privileges of my life to be a part of its growth from the very beginning.”
Western Australian-born Randall was the first member of the Crows in the AFLW’s inaugural season in 2017 and quickly became renowned for his dogged style of play.
Randall has won the AFLW’s bravest player award a record six times and was also the AFL Coaches’ Association champion player of the year in 2017.
Randall’s stellar playing status has earned him his appointment as development coach for Adelaide’s AFL men’s team in 2022.
Crows’ AFLW general manager Bree Brock praised Randall’s contribution to the club.
“Chelsea’s pioneering role and lasting impact in growing the game in our state should never be underestimated,” Brock said.
“His decorated AFLW career is a testament to the grit, resilience and outstanding talent he played for at every turn.”
AAP
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