Clayton Oliver

Clayton Oliver

Oliver in June 2017
Personal information
Full name Clayton Oliver
Date of birth (1997-07-22) 22 July 1997
Original team(s) Murray Bushrangers (TAC Cup)
Draft No. 4, 2015 national draft
Debut Round 1, 2016, Melbourne
vs. Greater Western Sydney, at MCG
Height 187 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight 88 kg (194 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current club Melbourne
Number 13
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2016– Melbourne 32 (10)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 20, 2017.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Clayton Oliver (born 22 July 1997) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). A midfielder, 1.87 metres (6 ft 2 in) tall and weighing 88 kilograms (194 lb), Oliver is known for his capabilities on the inside due to his handball and clearance work. He was a late bloomer in his junior career, where he struggled to play in the TAC Cup in 2014 and he missed selection in the 2015 AFL Under 18 Championships. After playing with the Murray Bushrangers in 2015, his achievements included best and fairest wins for the league and the Murray Bushrangers, which resulted in Melbourne drafting him with the fourth selection in the 2015 AFL draft. He made his debut in the 2016 season, which garnered a Rising Star nomination.

Early life

Oliver played for the Mooroopna Football Club senior side in the Goulburn Valley Football League in 2014[1] and he was awarded the Rising Star in the league,[2] in the same season, he struggled to play in the Bendigo Pioneers side in the TAC Cup, playing only three matches.[3] He moved to Mooroopna from Echuca in 2015 to be closer to his school, Goulburn Valley Grammar School in Shepparton for year 12,[3] he was then encouraged to join the Murray Bushrangers for the 2015 TAC Cup season.[4] He missed out on selection for the 2015 AFL Under 18 Championships for Victoria Country after suffering from osteitis pubis,[5] and after a slow start to the TAC Cup season, it was predicted he would be unlikely to be drafted in the 2015 AFL draft.[6] His initial plans were to study radiography at university from 2016 and then earn his AFL draft chance through the Victorian Football League (VFL).[3]

In July, Oliver was selected to play for the Richmond Football Club's VFL side,[7] and after playing two matches for them, his TAC Cup form drastically improved.[6] He was adjudged the best and fairest player in the TAC Cup by winning the Morrish Medal, where he received fourteen votes in the final nine rounds, and finished with fifteen in total, one vote ahead of Eastern Ranges forward, Darcy Crocker and Northern Knights midfielder, Jade Gresham,[8] in addition, he was named on the interchange in the TAC Cup team of the year.[9] He also won the John Byrne Medal as the Murray Bushrangers best and fairest player, finishing eight votes ahead of Murray Waite.[10] After winning the Morrish Medal and John Byrne Medal, he was predicted to be drafted inside the top twenty-five of the draft.[1][11] He was invited to the national draft combine,[12] where he performed well in the agility test, 20-metre time trial, and three kilometre time trial, which elevated his draft chances to inside the top ten.[5] In the weeks leading to the draft, he was labelled as the "draft bolter"[13][14][15][16] and after the Melbourne Football Club showed strong interest in him,[6] he was predicted to be drafted inside the top five in the days leading to the draft.[17][18][19]

AFL career

Oliver playing for Melbourne in the 2017 JLT Community Series

After the Melbourne Football Club unsuccessfully bid pick three in the 2015 national draft on Callum Mills, Oliver was recruited by them with their first selection and fourth overall.[20] He was predicted by Fox Footy as one of the draftees who would have an immediate impact in the 2016 season,[21] and after playing well in the 2016 NAB Challenge,[22][23] he made his debut in the two-point win against Greater Western Sydney at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in round one.[24] He was highly praised during his debut match[25][26][27] where he recorded twenty-two disposals, with fifteen of them contested, and seven clearances from 58 percent game-time,[28] and it was labelled as one of the best debuts in the previous fifteen years by Fox Sports Australia journalist, Tiarne Swersky.[29]

At the end of the first half, Oliver had seventeen disposals and led the contested possession and clearance count with eleven and five respectively; his first half was described by 1988 Brownlow Medallist, Gerard Healy, as "one of the best debut halves [he'd] seen" and former Essendon player, Scott Lucas, labelled him as the "real deal".[30] Furthermore, his debut match was rewarded with the round nomination for the Rising Star[31] and he became the equal favourite at the time for the Rising Star alongside Sydney defender and eventual winner, Callum Mills.[32] He also received two Brownlow votes, indicating he was judged as the second best player on the ground by the field umpires.[33] He played the next three matches, which saw him praised within the industry along with comparisons to former St Kilda player, Lenny Hayes,[34] before being rested for the ANZAC Day eve match against Richmond at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in round five.[35] He played in the Victorian Football League (VFL) for Melbourne's affiliate team, the Casey Scorpions, the next week before returning to the senior side for the seventy-three point win against Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium in round seven.[36]

Oliver played the next five out of six matches, missing the forty-five point loss against Port Adelaide at TIO Traeger Park in round ten due to a corked quad,[37] before being dropped for the round fifteen match against Adelaide at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.[38] He returned to the AFL side for the twenty-nine point win against Hawthorn at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in round twenty,[39] in which he was praised for his toughness and ability to bounce back from a Cyril Rioli bump in the first quarter,[40] whereby Rioli received a fine from the match review panel.[41] He played the next two matches before missing the last match of the season against Geelong at Simonds Stadium.[42] He then returned to Casey for the VFL finals, including playing in the grand final loss against Footscray at Etihad Stadium.[43] He finished the AFL season with thirteen matches, which resulted in an eighth place finish in the Rising Star[44] and finished twentieth in Melbourne's best and fairest count.[45]

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of round 16, 2017[33]
Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles
Season Team # Games G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
Totals Averages (per game)
2016 Melbourne 13 13 6 2 76 174 250 25 62 0.5 0.2 5.9 13.4 19.2 1.9 4.8
2017 Melbourne 13 15 2 3 124 321 445 49 103 0.2 0.2 8.3 21.4 29.7 3.3 6.9
Career 28 8 5 200 495 695 74 165 0.1 0.2 7.1 17.7 24.8 2.6 5.9

References

  1. 1 2 Twomey, Callum (9 October 2015). "Oliver keen for more after Morrish Medal success". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  2. ↑ "2015 AFL draft: combine harvester: Small and medium forwards". The Age. Fairfax Media. 8 October 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Cahill, Georgina (20 November 2015). "Murray Bushranger Clayton Oliver wanted to be a radiographer at the start of this year. His plans soon changed when AFL clubs started calling". Shepparton News. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  4. ↑ Twomey, Callum (9 November 2015). "15 days to the draft: Meet Morrish medallist and elite user Clayton Oliver". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  5. 1 2 Twomey, Callum (31 October 2015). "Morrish medallist Clayton Oliver adds top-10 twist". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 Baldwin, Adam (25 November 2015). "AFL draft 2015: Melbourne considers Clayton Oliver with first pick, plays like Ollie Wines". Fox Sports (Australia). News Corp Australia. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  7. ↑ Young, Chris (21 July 2015). "Young state league stars". The Border Mail. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  8. ↑ Twomey, Callum (13 September 2015). "Draft bolter Clayton Oliver clinches Morrish Medal". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  9. ↑ "TAC Cup Team of the Year". TACCup.com.au. Fox Sports Pulse. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  10. ↑ "Clayton Oliver wins John Byrne Medal". MurrayBushrangers.com.au. Fox Sports Pulse. 19 October 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  11. ↑ Young, Chris (18 October 2015). "Oliver wins Bushies B&F". The Border Mail. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  12. ↑ Young, Chris (5 August 2015). "Murray Bushrangers invited to 2015 AFL combine". The Border Mail. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  13. ↑ Landsberger, Sam (21 November 2015). "AFL draft 2015: Sam Landsberger’s final word on the first 30 selections". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  14. ↑ Morris, Tom (24 November 2015). "Is winning the TAC Cup’s best and fairest award a poisoned chalice? Draft bolter Clayton Oliver hopes not". Fox Sports (Australia). News Corp Australia. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  15. ↑ Landsberger, Sam (24 November 2015). "AFL draft 2015: How Clayton Oliver became this year’s bolter after he was snubbed by Vic Country". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  16. ↑ Waterworth, Ben (25 November 2015). "AFL draft 2015: The bolters, sliders and shock picks". Fox Sports (Australia). News Corp Australia. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  17. ↑ Landsberger, Sam (24 November 2015). "AFL draft 2015: Sam Landsberger predicts how the top 30 will unfold". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  18. ↑ Quayle, Emma (22 November 2015). "Club-by-club guide to the AFL draft: part 2". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  19. ↑ Twomey, Callum (24 November 2015). "Callum Twomey's 2015 phantom draft". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  20. ↑ Baldwin, Adam (25 November 2015). "AFL draft 2015: Melbourne drafts Clayton Oliver, Sam Weideman". Fox Sports (Australia). News Corp Australia. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  21. ↑ Olle, Sarah (8 January 2016). "Fox Footy previews six draftees set to have an immediate impact at their clubs in 2016". Fox Sports (Australia). News Corp Australia. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  22. ↑ Murnane, Matt (6 March 2016). "NAB Challenge 2016: Melbourne draftee Clayton Oliver ready for round one debut". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  23. ↑ Ralph, Jon (7 March 2016). "Clayton Oliver strengthens claim for Round 1 start in Melbourne’s win against Western Bulldogs". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  24. ↑ Harrington, Anna (24 March 2016). "Clayton Oliver to debut in round one". MelbourneFC.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  25. ↑ Schmook, Nathan (26 March 2016). "Hogan leads late charge as Dees cut down Giants". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  26. ↑ Pierik, Jon (26 March 2016). "Melbourne v Greater Western Sydney: Reborn Demons take a giant leap". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  27. ↑ McFarlane, Glenn (26 March 2016). "AFL 2016: Melbourne defeats GWS Giants by 2 points at the MCG in Round 1". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  28. ↑ Ryan, Peter (26 March 2016). "Five talking points: Melbourne v Greater Western Sydney". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  29. ↑ Swersky, Tiarne (20 May 2016). "The AFL’s best debuts of the last 15 years, including Andrew Walker, Dean Polo, Dale Thomas". Fox Sports (Australia). News Corp Australia. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  30. ↑ Baldwin, Adam (26 March 2016). "Clayton Oliver debut puts young midfielder straight into Rising Star contention". Fox Sports (Australia). News Corp Australia. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  31. ↑ Di Giorgio, Giulio (28 March 2016). "Demon Oliver delivers on pre-season promise to earn Rising Star nod". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  32. ↑ Gardiner, Gilbert (29 March 2016). "AFL premiership odds, Brownlow and Rising Star betting markets". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  33. 1 2 "Clayton Oliver". AFL Tables. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  34. ↑ Clark, Jay (13 May 2016). "Clayton Oliver has all the hallmarks of a future champion just five games into his career". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  35. ↑ "Round 5 AFL teams: Every club’s ins, outs and selected side for this weekend’s games". Fox Sports (Australia). News Corp Australia. 22 April 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  36. ↑ Malcolm, Alex; Bowen, Nick (6 May 2016). "TEAMS: Wingard confirmed, Lions drop Rising Star". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  37. ↑ Schmook, Nathan (27 May 2016). "AFL teams: the ins and outs for round 10". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  38. ↑ King, Travis; Navaratnam, Dinny (1 July 2016). "Demons dump Trengove, Crows stick to winning formula". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  39. ↑ Burgan, Matt (4 August 2016). "Three changes for Hawthorn clash". MelbourneFC.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  40. ↑ Burgan, Matt (8 August 2016). "Skipper praises Weideman, Oliver". MelbourneFC.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  41. ↑ Schmook, Nathan (8 August 2016). "MRP: Star Hawk Mitchell in the clear, but teammates charged". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  42. ↑ King, Travis (26 August 2016). "TEAMS: Fitzy gets nod for Hawks, no farewell for Macaffer". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  43. ↑ "Casey Scorpions Grand Final team". MelbourneFC.com.au. Bigpond. 22 September 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  44. ↑ Navaratnam, Dinny (23 September 2016). "Swans defender Mills wins Rising Star". AFL.com.au. Bigpond.
  45. ↑ Burgan, Matt (6 September 2016). "Viney edges Jones to win first ‘Bluey’". MelbourneFC.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
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