Melbourne veteran Steven May is set to come under scrutiny for a high shot that commentator David King said was deliberate and from a “bygone era”.

May and Carlton forward Francis Evans collided in a scary collision that left the Blues player with blood pouring out of his face and a concussion.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: David King calls for hefty ban for Steven May.

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Evans was running onto a loose ball towards his own goal as May came from the opposite direction.

Both players were focused entirely on the ball, but Evans got there a split second ahead of May and was collected by the big Demon’s shoulder.

He immediately went down in a heap as blood came pouring out of his nose and face.

The umpire paid a free kick for high contact, but it wasn’t until replays were rolled on the big screen that Carlton players remonstrated with May.

Evans was quickly taken off the field and later ruled out concussion, while the also reportedly lost a tooth in the incident.

Fox Footy commentators Jason Dunstall and Nathan Buckley initially wondered what else May could do in that situation.

“It’s a tough one isn’t it. He didn’t lift the arm, he was desperate to go for the ball, he kept the hands down for the ball ... probably these days you have to step out of the way don’t you,“ he said.

Buckley said it came down a split second and May might have thought he was going to win the ball.

“I don’t know whether our game is capable of allowing that anymore. We’re trying to legislate that outcome, not the intent, we’re taking that outcome out of the game. I don’t know, other than not compete, what can Steven May do there,” he said.

“What do we expect Steven May to do in that situation? To not compete, to not contest or is there something he could have done a split second to mitigate against that injury occurring.”

But speaking from the studio, King said May “picked off” Evans and called for a six-week suspension.

“He picked him off. It’s as simple as that,” he said.

“He knew exactly what he was doing and he picked him off. This is from a bygone era. This is not 2025.

“He’s played his last game for the season. That’s as bad as it gets, you’ve got a player in vulnerable position, you choose to bump, you hit nothing but the absolute middle of his face.

“This is a six-weeker for me. It doesn’t get worse than that.”

King later said his view was coming from the victim’s point of view, but did soften the outcome to “three-plus” weeks.

“What are we asking Evans to do, he’s entitled to go the ball in that fashion and the game is supposed to protect him. That’s what we’ve been saying, that’s what we’ve been preaching,” he said.

“I don’t have any empathy for Steven in this instance. I think he knew he was going to make contact. I think it will be straight to the tribunal and will be three-plus.”

May won’t be playing next week in any case after he suffered a concussion in the dying stages.

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said May was playing the ball, but conceded the defender is at the mercy of the match review officer.

The incident was the biggest talking point of a scrappy affair that was eventually won by Carlton.

Patrick Cripps led from the front and unsung forward Ashton Moir kicked four goals in the Blues’ 12.6 (78) to 10.10 (70) victory at the MCG.

It ended Carlton’s four-match losing streak, improving their win-loss record to 7-11 for the season, and eased pressure on embattled coach Michael Voss.

Scores were tied when the collision occurred midway through the third term after Kysaiah Pickett had sparked Melbourne, who trailed by 19 points at half-time, back to life.

Moir converted the free-kick awarded to Evans for May’s high contact, and Flynn Young’s first AFL goal helped the Blues to a 10-point lead at the final change.

Bayley Fritsch got the Demons back within a kick with the first major of the final term, and the tight contest wasn’t over until well after Charlie Curnow’s long bomb gave Carlton breathing space with less than three minutes to play.

Blues spearhead Curnow ended his four-week goal drought with three majors, finishing with 15 disposals and eight marks opposed to May.

Cripps had 29 disposals and eight clearances for Carlton, and was at the centre of a half-time melee after a confrontation with rival skipper Max Gawn.

Pickett was outstanding for Melbourne with two first-quarter goals and a pair of brilliant snaps - one from each pocket - in the third term.

He finished with five goals from 23 touches, while Demons midfielder Clayton Oliver had 26 disposals and seven clearances in his 200th AFL game.

- With AAP