RICHMOND midfielder Dion Prestia, 33, and Melbourne premiership player Steven May, 34, have been cleared of any involvement in a Boxing Day fight after prosecutors dropped all charges. 

Prestia and May were each charged over the incident at a Victorian coastal town.

Two groups were involved in an altercation in Sorrento about 2am on December 27, 2024, and two men were taken to hospital with injuries, police previously said.

Prestia, a three-time premiership player, was charged on summons with recklessly causing serious injury, intentionally causing injury, recklessly causing injury and affray.

May, who announced his sudden retirement from the AFL in March despite being contracted until the end of 2026, was charged on summons with affray.

Both men appeared via video link into Frankston Magistrates Court on Friday morning where prosecutor Alex Turner advised the charges were withdrawn.

Magistrate Tony Burns subsequently confirmed all of the offences against the two men would be struck out.

He also ordered the footballers' legal costs be paid by the Chief Commissioner of Police, following an application from defence lawyer Tony Hargreaves.

May and Prestia only spoke during the brief hearing to confirm they could hear the court and to thank the magistrate after he advised they could leave the link.

Mr Hargreaves refused to comment on the outcome as he left court.

May and Prestia have consistently denied the allegations and the court was told in March that two other suspects were being interviewed.

There was no footage of the altercation and investigators were relying on word-of-mouth evidence from two competing groups, Mr Turner previously told the court.

Prestia won three premierships at Richmond and was awarded the club's best-and-fairest in 2019.

May played for Melbourne in the 2021 premiership and is a dual All-Australian player.