Trade talk: Hodge backs a Bulldogs pursuit of Demons defender

Luke Mathews • August 26th, 2025 1:23 pm

Hawthorn champion Luke Hodge has called on Steven May to consider a move to the Western Bulldogs to finish his career.

The Herald Sun’s Scott Gullan reported on Tuesday that Melbourne were looking at a list shake up with May reportedly on the outer as a result.

The Bulldogs' backline is in serious need of support having ranked eighth for points against in 2025 despite being the number one scoring team.

The defender was well below his lofty heights in 2025, having lost 32 per cent of his one on ones in the back half of the year compared to 13 per cent last year.

Gerard Whateley and Hodge compared the move to Brian Lake’s trade to Hawthorn at the end of 2012 which ended up in three flags and a Norm Smith for the former Bulldog.

Hodge felt that the move should be looked at by all parties, however he said that the 34-year-old would need to come to terms with a different role at the Bulldogs.

“I am actually not a no for this,” Hodge told Whateley on Tuesday morning.

“You look at Melbourne and he is their best defender; it’s May and then everyone is built off him.

“Sometimes when you make a change as a senior player you come across and go, I’m not the most important person in this defence.

“I have to play second fiddle to the young guys coming through, if that means I play a game where I have five touches, who cares because I’m here to teach and educate the young guys.

“If you’re sitting back and going the big thing for the Doggies is the stable defence when a good team comes at them, you know May is stable.

“You that he’ll be calm, you that know he’ll be able to direct and inform blokes.

“What he has to get into his head is this might be the worst personal stats of his career but it’s the best thing for the football club.

“Bevo would have to very clear with that, you’re coming over not to be the best you you’re coming over to be the best team person to help us become a better defence.

“If you get in senior blokes to young teams that are down or to fill a void, it's not about you anymore, its about coming in and playing a role.

“It would have to work, I’m not blowing salary cap or budget, to come across.

“You have to take a fair pay cut from what you’re on because we know he is very well paid at Melbourne, but I would be having a strong firm discussion about that.

“I would be interested if I was Bevo, bringing in someone with experience for this time of year because you don’t go and have eight or nine goals kicked against you in a must win game.

“All the murmurs around Melbourne is, players are unsure about the future and where they are going.

“Are they going to come back in and stick with the Petracca and the Oliver?

“Is the new coach going to move them on and there is no chance of playing finals again in May’s last couple of years?”

The 2025 AFL trade period begins on Monday October 6 and runs until Wednesday October 15.