Jake Melksham has undergone surgery to clean up an infection in his hand that occurred as a result of Sunday’s altercation with teammate Steven May.
The incident occurred just after 9pm in Prahran, an inner-city suburb of Melbourne.
Melbourne has suspended May over the altercation.
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Melksham is now unavailable for AFL (or VFL) selection for this weekend’s blockbuster Queen’s Birthday clash against Collingwood.
“Jake performed really strongly at VFL level last weekend and it’s disappointing to not have him available for selection this week,” Melbourne’s general manager of football performance Alan Richardson said.
“What is more disappointing is that the injury keeping him out of the frame for selection is a result of the altercation Jake was involved in on Sunday evening.
“As a footy club we are deeply embarrassed by the events of Sunday and Jake and Steven understand that they have let our club, their teammates and our members down.
“I want to make it very clear that as a club, we do not condone violence of any manner, and the fact that our players allowed any disagreement to escalate to a physical level is completely unacceptable.”
The catalyst for the dust-up was a reported sledge from May about Melksham missing the 2021 grand final, which Melbourne won over the Western Bulldogs by 74 points.
Melksham was omitted from the Demons’ 22 for last year’s drought-breaking premiership, serving as an emergency.
“If you had have played in the (grand final) we would have lost,” May allegedly said.
It is claimed Melksham then floored May with a punch in retaliation.
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