WELCOME TO THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB - CLAYTON OLIVER

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

Big factor in him going so high is he can play mid and forward well. Taylor mentioned it in his summary and with the interchange caps, mids who can "rest" forward and damage a team are worth more than a pure mid, even if they may be silkier (i.e. as Parish appears to be).

So good that we are in a position to develop him properly rather than fast track him as the new saviour for Round 1.

Yep. Unlike when we got Morton, Watts, Scully and Trengove, our team has plenty of spotlight-grabbers like Hogan, Viney and Brayshaw and these new guys get to just work they way into it like what happens at proper clubs.

[olisik 4,060]

Display pic fixed...for the next decade

[DemonOX 8,692]

Did we have to use pic 3 on him or could we have got him at our next pic then we could have got Francis at 3?

[Demi Dee 578]

Having watched the highlights, I now get the Jordie McKenzie references. Again, not a reflection of expectations or quality of player, just looks and style. He's a dead ringer I reckon.

Dead ranger

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

If you say that three times Jack Viney appears and pulls your heart out...

and Jones, Vince and Brayshaw eat it

[The Song Formerly Known As 6,479]

[Yossarian 1,820]

Was replying to everything on the supercoach facebook page. Hope he doesn't start reading the threads here, it'll do his head in.

Either way, absolutely stoked he's a Demon.

[DeeSpencer 24,687]

Highlights video scene by scene:

- Strong mark back with the flight

- Gathers a clearance against 3, firm handball to the loose man

- Positions well for a handball up, snaps a goal quickly under pressure

- Marks a kick out 30m from goal, bursts and shimmies through to the middle of the ground, launches inside 50 on a quick breakaway

- Clearance

- Loose ball get, spots up a man inside 50

- Clearance

- Clearance on the move, weave, snap goal

- Contested mark

- Loose ball get, step, left foot spot up kick

- Contested mark inside 50, taking the ball at the highest point

- Loose ball get, pause, laughs at opposition, runs round, kicks inside 50 that leads to a goal

- Beastly tackle

- Clearance

- Handball receive, turns, trips, bounces up and handballs to a runner

I'm at 2:06 and I've seen enough.

Any more and I'll turn in to Osilik

[olisik 4,060]

Was replying to everything on the supercoach facebook page. Hope he doesn't start reading the threads here, it'll do his head in.

Either way, absolutely stoked he's a Demon.

I wouldn't have any issues with him reading what is written here. Nothing but nice

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

Having watched the highlights, I now get the Jordie McKenzie references. Again, not a reflection of expectations or quality of player, just looks and style. He's a dead ringer I reckon.

I like to think he is a super-jordie tough

[olisik 4,060]

I like to think he is a super-jordie tough

Took Jordies spot on the list....

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

Display pic fixed...for the next decade

please let me fix it for you so his head isn't cropped out

[daisycutter 29,303]

Display pic fixed...for the next decade

now you just need a minor change to your display name

[rjay 24,577]

ummm. no he isn't. Jack Viney is.

No he isn't

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

Did we have to use pic 3 on him or could we have got him at our next pic then we could have got Francis at 3?

would have been gone, dons were taking whoever we didn't take out of Clayton and Parish IMO

[olisik 4,060]

please let me fix it for you so his head isn't cropped out

Ta, can't be having cropped out head now

[The Song Formerly Known As 6,479]

No he isn't

i actually just went to Footy Wire to compare their stats in regards to averages that are related to the inside mid role, i.e contested possession etc.

Both players have played 50 games, pretty much- Viney 49, Tyson 50. And Their stats are actually almost identical with each player "one uping" here and there by a decimal point. So to be honest as much as i like to argue the point, i think i will have to call it a draw. They are both as good as an inside mid as one another.

Edited November 24, 2015 by The Song Formerly Known As

[FarNorthernD 5,861]

New highlights are up.. get excited

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2015-11-24/oliver-claimed-with-melbournes-first-pick

Many player highlights you look at wonder how their skills will translate into an AFL environment. They either have too much space that they won't get at AFL level or they will lose a size advantage or they take advantage of lesser skilled players.

Those Oliver highlights (and yes they are highlights) look like he is playing AFL style football already. Check out the centre square handball whilst being tackled at the 2.28 mark. I have no problems picturing that at the MCG with the handball receive going to Viney or Brayshaw who hits up Hogan 30m out.

Edited November 24, 2015 by fndee

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

Many player highlights you look at wonder how their skills will translate into an AFL environment. They either have too much space that they won't get at AFL level or they will lose a size advantage or they take advantage of lesser skilled players.

Those Oliver highlights (and yes they are highlights) look like he is playing AFL style football already. Check out the centre square handball whilst being tackled at the 2.28 mark. I have no problems picturing that at the MCG with the handball receive going to Viney or Brayshaw who hits up Hogan 30m out.

one of the things about Jack Viney that had him rated as a top5-10 pick (lucky we get a nice 20 pick discount there) was that bloodlust at the contest. Some worried (and it was fair enough) that this point of difference might not translate into a weapon at AFL level. Lo and behold, it translated like hell and you could generally claim that JV is one of the hardest bodies around the ball already, and it's precisely what makes him such an asset. I expect the same for Oliver.

Edited November 24, 2015 by Curry & Beer

[Ron Burgundy 8,584]

Looks like a good bloke.

[McQueen 17,864]

New highlights are up.. get excited

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2015-11-24/oliver-claimed-with-melbournes-first-pick

Goodness me, that kid will play senior footy next season.

How many opposition players did he turn inside-out in that footage?

Tough, composed, skilful and a fair dose of mongrel.

[FireInTheBennelly 4,059]

I couldn't work out who he reminds me of (playing style), but knew I'd seen it before. I worked it out, and know why it was so tough.

Byron Pickett anyone?

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

Goodness me, that kid will play senior footy next season.

How many opposition players did he turn inside-out in that footage?

Tough, composed, skilful and a fair dose of mongrel.

They don't know where he's going, and even if they do, they can't impede him enough to stop him doing what he was going to do in the first place. Love it.

[DeeSpencer 24,687]

I think the comparisons to Cripps

- Draft bolter

- Great inside

- Tall and pale

Are a bit lazy. Cripps is amazing at clearances. He's as good as any in the AFL. Oliver is a very good clearance mid at TAC but we don't know much else yet. Cripps is very good at accumulating the ball around the ground through work rate, but that's about all he does away from stoppages.

I see agility, skills, marking (Cripps is a good mark due to his size, not for his size) and a burst of speed from Oliver that I rarely see from Cripps.

I'm not saying he's as good as Cripps. We will be lucky if that's true. But I think he's much different to Cripps despite the similarities. Maybe a cleaner Dane Swan or a slower Dangerfield. There's a bit of Luke Parker about him and a bit of Robbie Gray.

[Mad_Melbourne 872]

The funniest thing I noticed was the clear difference between the country bumpkin who has not been through the AIS and therefore has no media training and the prim and proper private school boy with media training in Wiedeman. Loved both aspects but the difference between the two was quite humorous