Former AFL stars Dion Prestia and Steven May sued over alleged Mornington Peninsula brawl
Two former AFL players, Dion Prestia and Steven May, are being sued in the Supreme Court of Victoria over an alleged assault on the Mornington Peninsula. ABC News reported the civil case on Friday 6 November 2026.
The claim is a personal injury case. That means one person says he was hurt and is asking for money to make up for it. The plaintiff says he was assaulted, and he is seeking damages, including his medical costs. The court has restricted his name. At a directions hearing, which is a short court session where dates and next steps are set, lawyers confirmed that two more defendants will be added alongside May and Prestia.
The claim traces back to Boxing Day 2024, when police said a streetside fight broke out in Sorrento between the two men and another group. Two men were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Prestia was charged with recklessly causing serious injury and affray. May was charged with affray, which is fighting or violence in a public place that could frighten bystanders. Both men strenuously denied involvement. Herald Sun reports that Prestia is accused of punching a man and May of striking one. These are allegations, not findings.
Prosecutors dropped all the criminal charges in May 2026. ABC News reported the decision on 8 May. In the weeks after, May spoke about the mental toll the case had taken on him. Nine carried his comments.
Both men had long careers before this. Prestia played 254 games for Richmond and Gold Coast and is a three-time premiership player. He will join Hawthorn's coaching group for the 2027 season as an AFL development coach, a role that works with young players. May played 251 games for Melbourne and Gold Coast. He was part of Melbourne's 2021 premiership-winning squad, and he retired on the eve of the 2026 AFL season.
For a fan, the hard part is that this is a civil case, not a criminal one. The plaintiff is trying to win money, and the standard of proof is different from the one used in criminal court. The case is still at the directions stage, so the court has not heard the allegations and no finding has been made. Both men have denied being involved in the Sorrento incident.
