Melbourne captain Max Gawn has lamented his "poor" reaction to being confronted by teammate Steven May following the Demons' loss to Collingwood, adding the pair are still talking through their altercation.

With just over 30 seconds left in the King's Birthday clash and Melbourne trailing by a point, Gawn had the ball in defence and attempted to open up the play but shanked his kick straight to Collingwood's Will Hoskin-Elliott.

The mis-kick effectively stamped out Melbourne's hopes of a late surge in Monday's thriller at the MCG.

Afterwards, a frustrated-looking May approached Gawn and remonstrated, before the Demons skipper pushed him away.

Gawn insisted he couldn't "confidently" say what May had said to him, but it was clearly around his decision to centre the ball.

"It says a bit about both of us, we were both extremely disappointed in that last 30 seconds," he told Triple M radio.

"I thought my reaction was really poor. I had a teammate just showing care - his version of care. From a long history with Steven May, he's strong with his care, but I know that.

"I'm really agreeable with how strong his feedback and terminology and his body language is on-ground because he gets the best out of his team.

"I can't confidently say what was said. It was definitely around my decision and I agree with him in hindsight that the decision was poor.

"... It was a genuine killer of a kick."

Gawn insisted his relationship with May was fine despite the demonstrative scenes.

"We were always going to be all good," he said.

"I've got a lot of respect for him, and he has respect for me.

"We're currently still talking through it via text and we'll probably see each other at some point."

May is known as a player who wears his heart on his sleeve and Gawn made it clear he had no issues with the way the defender went about things.

"I'm here to defend Steven," Gawn said.

"He's copped it a little bit in the media over the last 24 hours.

"If he had his time again, he might not do it on the final siren, thinking a camera there.

"But that's him throughout the whole game, that's both of us throughout the whole game, and unfortunately, that's been caught on camera.

"I make it a bigger thing by pushing him away, and I'm slightly disappointed in how it's played out."