Sachi Dade has launched a Federal Court lawsuit against the Melbourne Demons, coach Steven King and football performance chief Alan Richardson, accusing the club of leaking false and private information about her after a police welfare check at her home. The m
A police welfare check at the home Sachi Dade shares with AFL star Steven May became the starting point for a lawsuit that now alleges something far more personal—private information being passed around the Demons’ football world.
Dade has accused Melbourne Demons officials and individuals within the club of breaching her privacy after the police visit in January. alleging the fallout left her facing emotional distress. public harm and humiliation. In documents filed with the Federal Court. she claims the club divulged false information about her to other players’ wives and girlfriends during a meeting held on February 5.
The alleged meeting wasn’t just a casual sit-down. Dade’s filing says it involved the partners of 15 Demons players and was held over Microsoft Teams. She alleges the discussion focused on the circumstances of May’s exit from the club—an exit that came only after May announced his retirement from the AFL on March 1.
Dade is seeking an apology and damages. The case is due to return to court on September 11.
Her claim stretches across three separate privacy breaches. First, she alleges the Demons released a statement on February 4 saying police attended the home she shares with May the previous week. The police welfare check, the filing notes, resulted in no arrests or charges.
Second, Dade claims the club provided sensitive information about her and May to the AFL.
Third, she alleges confidential information about her and May was shared with attendees during the February 5 meeting—without the club contacting her to “ask for her comments or input on those matters.”
In the documents, Dade says she reported the club to the AFL and the league’s integrity unit, but that her issues were not resolved. She also alleges the club left her “open to rumours, personal ridicule and humiliation by members of the public.”
A further allegation adds pressure to her account: Dade has accused a Melbourne board member of contacting May’s legal representatives in order to “apply pressure” on her.
The lawsuit also describes the way the club responded during the February 5 meeting. Dade’s documents state that representatives of Melbourne Football Club acknowledged that the information being shared was “private and sensitive” and asked attendees not to further divulge it. The filing also says it was unclear why private and sensitive information was shared with the attendees by MFC representatives. adding another layer of tension around how the information travelled inside the club’s orbit.
Melbourne released a statement shortly after the February 5 meeting. The message said the meeting was intended to reassure families and the playing group about the club’s commitment to support. The club also acknowledged. in that statement. that while it was not the intent. the meeting had caused distress and the club was sorry.
Behind the legal claims is a football career that May built during his time at the Demons. May joined Melbourne from the Gold Coast Suns ahead of the 2019 season and played 128 matches for the club. He was part of the Demons’ 2021 grand final victory over the Western Bulldogs.
Dade, a nurse, and May marked a major personal milestone during the months leading up to the dispute’s timeline: they celebrated the birth of their first child, a daughter named Millie, in September 2024.
For Dade, the question at the centre of the case is simple and sharp: whether the Demons’ handling of events surrounding a police welfare check—followed by internal discussions with partners of players—went beyond support and into harm by way of privacy breaches, false claims, and humiliation.
For Melbourne. the statements it issued after the February 5 meeting offer a different tone. framing the meeting as reassurance and expressing regret at the distress caused. The Federal Court will now be asked to weigh Dade’s allegations against that account. with the matter set to come back on September 11.
Steven May Sachi Dade Melbourne Demons AFL privacy breach lawsuit Federal Court police welfare check Alan Richardson Steven King AFL integrity unit