Player Watch #13 Clayton Oliver – UNPRECEDENTED 4x B&F, 3x AA, 2x AFLCA Winner and Premiership Player (formerly)

[Scythe94]

OK, I've removed about three pages of posts.

Please do not use this thread to speculate about Oliver's private life – medical or otherwise.

Regardless of the veracity of your rumour, or what you know/have heard, if it's not public knowledge, just don't post it.

I don't want to turn this place into Demonland, but if you can't see the potential harm that this sort of rumour-spreading can cause (regardless of your intentions), then perhaps it's best if you take a bit of a break.

Thanks.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Paying someone what we are with Oliver with Trac missing as many games as he has and being proud that hes second for centre clearances and third in stoppage clearances at the club is loony bin material.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Here's a fun game. Guess which one of our mids ( on the right is in this comparison to Oliver )

Beating him in contested disposals, clearances, kicking efficiency, goals and score involvements

View attachment 2056246

Has to be Viney?

 

[Topkent]

Has to be Viney?

Trick question it's Max Gawn, showing how completely and utterly irrelevant those stats are to measure a midfielders season

 

[Gavinmitchell11]

I don't mind these calls from Kane but he is on drugs thinking we'd have to give our first with Oliver to get someone to take him off our hands.

It’s either that or you will have to pay a lot of the salary I’d say.
What do you guys know about when the issues started? He was obviously playing good football up until last year and was given the huge contract so surely club wasn’t aware of the off field stuff before then… right?

 

[Topkent]

It’s either that or you will have to pay a lot of the salary I’d say.
What do you guys know about when the issues started? He was obviously playing good football up until last year and was given the huge contract so surely club wasn’t aware of the off field stuff before then… right?

Of course they were aware, it just came to a head last year and he fell off the wagon. That's why the contract was so dumb

 

[Jibroni]

Oliver has had more clearances and contested disposals than Warner, Warner's kicked 29 goals to 3 but goals aren't important to winning juicy contested disposals are.
Oliver for AA, Warner #overrated

Do you ever think that the problem here is that Clarry has set an impossible standard for himself?

Oliver has been playing at a level so far above normal for like 90% of midfielders for his entire ccareer. I Suppose you wish we drafted Parish or someone else? He is having his first ever below standard season, which is still comparable to most midfielders best season and specific reasons why that is happening.

I understand that his pay packet demands but I also understand that he’s a human. To trade him now is not only a ridiculously poor list move for a team lacking midfield depth, but a culturally shocking decision.

I can’t wait for the nuffies on this forum to call for Trac’s head next year when he’s rightfully going to struggle on the field with form/fitness.

 

[Topkent]

Do you ever think that the problem here is that Clarry has set an impossible standard for himself?

Oliver has been playing at a level so far above normal for like 90% of midfielders for his entire ccareer. I Suppose you wish we drafted Parish or someone else? He is having his first ever below standard season, which is still comparable to most midfielders best season and specific reasons why that is happening.

I understand that his pay packet demands but I also understand that he’s a human. To trade him now is not only a ridiculously poor list move for a team lacking midfield depth, but a culturally shocking decision.

I can’t wait for the nuffies on this forum to call for Trac’s head next year when he’s rightfully going to struggle on the field with form/fitness.

This is one of the most nonsensical posts I've ever read. You started off saying he's been pretty good based off irrelevant statistics on a stat page, then moved the goal posts, now moved them again.

He's set an impossible standard but we paid him to maintain or even better that standard, he's comparable to most mids best season but his first ever below standard season was a pretty good season 2 posts ago, Parish has exactly nothing to do with this.

One person acting like a full blown nuffy here and it ain't me or the other guys rightfully criticizing Oliver.

 

[markm106]

Clearly Oliver had a poor preparation leading into the season. Arguing he has had a good year is impossible by his standards. Also arguing he has had time to get fit is laughable. That is also on the club (not diminishing Oliver’s responsibility here), same with Petty for not putting them
Through a pre season in the early parts of the season. Training during the season whilst playing is not really building condition. It’s mainly about recovery.
Oliver in 18 games this year has only played 80% or more game time on 3 occasions. In his prior 63 games he did it 60 times. Kind of highlights his lack of conditioning. He has built a career on getting from contest to contest and just hasn’t got the fitness base behind him. His efforts have at times been poor and I would say fitness plays a part. Also he was not alone on the weekend. Plenty of players went missing.
The question for Melbourne is can he get back to his best. Personally not sure if he’ll get back to 3 x AA, 4 x B&F. But if he knuckles down over preseason we’ll certainly see a better version of Clarry.
The contract he is on also puts the club in a position where trading him now is almost impossible. Cornes suggestion of us giving up a first and paying a part of his wage is laughable. And McLure continues to make stories from Clarry since he said years ago he might be going to Carlton.

I’m prepared to give Clarry another go. Ball is in his court regarding how he carries himself through the off and preseason.

 

[Topkent]

The lengths people will go to too blame anyone except Oliver is astounding

 

[Crusty Demon]

Clearly Oliver had a poor preparation leading into the season. Arguing he has had a good year is impossible by his standards. Also arguing he has had time to get fit is laughable. That is also on the club (not diminishing Oliver’s responsibility here), same with Petty for not putting them
Through a pre season in the early parts of the season. Training during the season whilst playing is not really building condition. It’s mainly about recovery.
Oliver in 18 games this year has only played 80% or more game time on 3 occasions. In his prior 63 games he did it 60 times. Kind of highlights his lack of conditioning. He has built a career on getting from contest to contest and just hasn’t got the fitness base behind him. His efforts have at times been poor and I would say fitness plays a part. Also he was not alone on the weekend. Plenty of players went missing.
The question for Melbourne is can he get back to his best. Personally not sure if he’ll get back to 3 x AA, 4 x B&F. But if he knuckles down over preseason we’ll certainly see a better version of Clarry.
The contract he is on also puts the club in a position where trading him now is almost impossible. Cornes suggestion of us giving up a first and paying a part of his wage is laughable. And McLure continues to make stories from Clarry since he said years ago he might be going to Carlton.

I’m prepared to give Clarry another go. Ball is in his court regarding how he carries himself through the off and preseason.

Club has to weigh up how much of a culture killer he's bring as well. Lots of good young talent at the club. Watching this bloke earn a million and playing like he is and playing up off field.

 

[Young Redleg]

Do you ever think that the problem here is that Clarry has set an impossible standard for himself?

Oliver has been playing at a level so far above normal for like 90% of midfielders for his entire ccareer. I Suppose you wish we drafted Parish or someone else? He is having his first ever below standard season, which is still comparable to most midfielders best season and specific reasons why that is happening.

I understand that his pay packet demands but I also understand that he’s a human. To trade him now is not only a ridiculously poor list move for a team lacking midfield depth, but a culturally shocking decision.

I can’t wait for the nuffies on this forum to call for Trac’s head next year when he’s rightfully going to struggle on the field with form/fitness.

Lol "comparable to most midfielders best." The month that Trent Rivers spent in the midfield was far superior to anything that Oliver has served up throughout this season.

 

[markm106]

Club has to weigh up how much of a culture killer he's bring as well. Lots of good young talent at the club. Watching this bloke earn a million and playing like he is and playing up off field.

Yeah I mean if he’s putting in another pre season like that then you can’t keep him. But the club would be in a better position than the average big footy punter to know that.
I’m fully expecting he’ll be provided the opportunity this pre season to prove himself.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

The month that Trent Rivers spent in the midfield was far superior to anything that Oliver has served up throughout this season.

While being on about 35-40% of his wage.

 

[Topkent]

While being on about 35-40% of his wage.

An 100% more likeable

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Id respect you more if you just came out and said Oliver is my favourite player so im fine with us overpaying him massively for the rest of his career even if its a detriment to the club. Far better than searching for stats to try and justify why he actually hasn't been that bad this year.

 

[Topkent]

Id respect you more if you just came out and said Oliver is my favourite player so im fine with us overpaying him massively for the rest of his career even if its a detriment to the club. Far better than searching for stats to try and justify why he actually hasn't been that bad this year.

Yeah the whole boo hoo it's the clubs fault shit is tiring. Blokes 27, he's closer to retirement than when he started

Be an Oliver nuff an proud like Proper Gander

 

[Toump Ass]

It's not like Oliver even missed the pre-season. He just came back fat and bloated then got put on a running program and then back in the group, preseason games and started playing.

I don't know what he's supposed to be recovering from the tubby **** just jogs around doing **** all once a week. I do more than him on a Saturday arvo.

 

[schmuttt]

I can’t wait for the nuffies on this forum to call for Trac’s head next year when he’s rightfully going to struggle on the field with form/fitness.

Considering Trac is the absolute opposite of Oliver in terms of professionalism any issues he has next year will be chalked down to him recovering from a very serious injury this year.

The excuses people come up for with this bloke are unreal.

 

[Toump Ass]

Very slight difference between missing preseason because you had a life-threatening on-field injury, and being a big fat chicken mcnugget eating **** pounding gin & tonic at revolver nightclub until midday and spending your million dollarydoo paycheck on cocaine. Easy mistake to make.

 

[schmuttt]

As much as McClure is a flog he clearly has some sort of info on Oliver, the chat with Carlton a couple years ago because Oliver was shitty with his B&F placement actually did happen.

His effort week to week tells me he has checked out, really hope it continues so we can **** him off and actually build the list up again. Super disappointing he looked like an all time club great for a while, but at least we got Trac and Gawn I guess.

 

[markm106]

I don’t think people are excusing his behaviour and subsequent lack of conditioning. This has potentially cost us a shot at the flag this year. Peak Clarry would have made such a difference let’s face it. There’s certainly people like myself who are aware he just can’t perform to previous levels in his current state. He was rushed back in he obviously agreed to do so. But for all involved he should have done a solid block of training. But here we are.
Oliver now has the chance during this off and pre season to get himself into shape.
There is a chance he’s done and won’t get anywhere near his previous form. But we can’t know that. I get the observations from some games with effort etc. As I mentioned in an earlier post he really lacks the conditioning to get from contest to contest. Also can’t spend the time on ground he used to.

 

[schmuttt]

I don’t think people are excusing his behaviour and subsequent lack of conditioning. This has potentially cost us a shot at the flag this year. Peak Clarry would have made such a difference let’s face it. There’s certainly people like myself who are aware he just can’t perform to previous levels in his current state. He was rushed back in he obviously agreed to do so. But for all involved he should have done a solid block of training. But here we are.
Oliver now has the chance during this off and pre season to get himself into shape.
There is a chance he’s done and won’t get anywhere near his previous form. But we can’t know that. I get the observations from some games with effort etc. As I mentioned in an earlier post he really lacks the conditioning to get from contest to contest. Also can’t spend the time on ground he used to.

You do so in the same post though?

'I know Oliver doesn't chase but he lacks conditioning'

????

 

[markm106]

You do so in the same post though?

'I know Oliver doesn't chase but he lacks conditioning'

????

I’m not excusing how he got there though. I’m reasoning. I’m not in the camp that he can’t be f’d. I actually think he’s unable to physically do what he used to.

 

[stEdy]

To my eye he doesn't look checked out. He actually looks invested in his team mates and celebrates the small things. He's someone that was a physical animal due to doing all the extras, now he just can't physically compete against the best in the engine room week in/week out. Whether he gets back to his best or not is another question.

Many other star players have looked completely cooked without the physical conditioning required to perform through injury or otherwise. Cripps seems to be always lurching from looking cooked to incredible season to season. There's not much room for error when you're trying to win the ball against the best of the best week in/week out.

 

[markm106]

To my eye he doesn't look checked out. He actually looks invested in his team mates and celebrates the small things. He's someone that was a physical animal due to doing all the extras, now he just can't physically compete against the best in the engine room week in/week out. Whether he gets back to his best or not is another question.

Many other star players have looked completely cooked without the physical conditioning required to perform through injury or otherwise. Cripps seems to be always lurching from looking cooked to incredible season to season. There's not much room for error when you're trying to win the ball against the best of the best week in/week out.

Great post. He was never an endurance beast. Once he
Became an elite preparer he became an elite player. And totally agree even if he gets back to his old training standards there’s no guarantee he’ll get back to his best. But you’d think somewhere near it.