Australian Football

Known as ‘Chooka’, Charlie May possessed all the attributes of the champion centreman: pacy, highly skilled, tough as nails and endlessly resourceful. He played initially for North Melbourne in the VFA (four games, four goals in 1919) and then with association rivals Brunswick (44 games, 24 goals, 1919-21), but it was with Essendon, for whom he played 83 VFL games and scored three goals from 1922 to 1926, that he really made his name. Close to best afield in the Dons’ 1923 grand final defeat of Fitzroy he was also an ever present in the following season’s round robin finals series, from which Essendon again emerged triumphant. His career was really just beginning to get going when he retired after incurring an eight week suspension for felling an opponent in the 1926 preliminary final. He later coached, including a three season stint in charge of Glenelg.

Author - John Devaney