Two Australian Football League (AFL) premiership players are contesting criminal charges, insisting they were not involved in a brawl at a coastal town. They have requested that the charges be dropped.

Dion Prestia of the Richmond Football Club, aged 33, and Steven May from the Melbourne Football Club, aged 34, appeared remotely via videolink for a brief session at the Dromana Magistrates Court today.

The charges, stemming from an incident in October, relate to an altercation that occurred approximately 10 months earlier on Point Nepean Road in Sorrento, located on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.

According to police reports, the confrontation took place around 2 a.m. on December 27, 2024, involving two groups that clashed, resulting in two individuals being hospitalized with injuries.

Prestia faces charges, brought by summons, of recklessly causing serious injury, intentionally causing injury, and affray.

May has been charged on summons with affray.

However, both players deny they were present during the brawl and proclaim their innocence.

Their lawyer Tony Hargreaves told the court he had provided detailed written submissions to police setting out why the charges ought to be withdrawn.

This included a witness statement, which claims neither Prestia nor May were present during the fight, he said.

Hargreaves said Victoria Police were considering their submission and asked for the case to be adjourned to February for a contest mention.

Prosecutor Alex Turner said the matter had just been referred to his unit and agreed to the adjournment.

Prestia and May, who remain charged on summons, will face Frankston Magistrates Court on February 20.

The pair, who started their AFL careers together at the Gold Coast Suns, previously released statements through their clubs proclaiming their innocence.

“I was not involved in the fight. I was not even physically present when it apparently took place,” Prestia said, in a statement issued by Richmond in October.

“I deny that I am guilty of these offences and will strenuously defend these charges.”

Melbourne said May had advised them he was not involved and he would “strongly defend” the charge in court.

Both AFL clubs are supportive of the players.

Prestia is a three-time premiership player with Richmond, and won the club’s best-and-fairest award in 2019.

May played for Melbourne in the 2021 premiership and is a dual All-Australian player.