Lyon: Oliver is Demons best EVER midfielder

[TeamPlayedFine39 8,503]

Thank god Sydney matched our bid on Mills.

Thank god Gold Coast traded us pick three.

Thank god we took a risk on a draft bolter and didn't play the safe pick in Parish.

[hemingway 7,627]

4 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

And he invariably found a player, usually in a better position, with his precision disposal, .

Yeah he always found a player alright not always near the ball. 

[Dees_In_October 3,380]

I still reckon some fans of other teams underrate his brilliance because a lot of what he does is so split-second that you can barely see it in the tv coverage, let alone at the ground.

I say this every time an Oliver thread comes up, but in the 2017 season I was making GIFs of his best handballs but gave up in 2018 because there were just so many and it was actually really hard to capture even in a GIF!

[Deeoldfart 8,016]

Most top line players have a few special qualities that put them in a class of their own.  Clarry has has a list of attributes which set him apart again.   His awareness (sometimes seems like 360 degree vision), speed and almost flawless execution regardless of the situation and pressure around him, his elite footy IQ and is ability move quickly (and win) contest after contest, are qualities that are peerless among current AFL ranks.  Match these qualities with the mutual understanding he has with the best ruckman the competition, and the sky is the limit for Clarry.

Edited March 4, 2019 by Deeoldfart
afterthought

[McQueen 17,864]

1 hour ago, TeamPlayedFine39 said:

Thank god Sydney matched our bid on Mills.

Thank god Gold Coast traded us pick three.

Thank god we took a risk on a draft bolter and didn't play the safe pick in Parish.

Thank Paul Roos instead. 

He was the man who asked Taylor to take a closer look at Oliver. 

[Jibroni 5,003]

Currently $26 in the Brownlow; could be the investment of the year.

[Queanbeyan Demon 6,843]

Barry Norsworthy was pretty good.

[TeamPlayedFine39 8,503]

3 minutes ago, McQueen said:

Thank Paul Roos instead. 

He was the man who asked Taylor to take a closer look at Oliver. 

I did thank Paul Roos...

[Macca 16,963]

"In Lyon's time on earth" but ...

Clarrie has a long way to go before he catches up with Ron Barassi

I never saw RDB play but I know plenty who did see him play ... a gun ruck-rover (midfielder) who was arguably best on ground in 3 winning grand finals.  Universally regarded as a great footballer.

Oliver is on a similar trajectory but he's still got to get there. 

Not sure we should ever dismiss the past so easily.

Edited March 4, 2019 by Macca

[nosoupforme 3,085]

I agree with G Lyon and for Clarrie to be called the best ever Demon Midfielder then he has to help us win the Premiership.

[dl4e 5,851]

I have to agree with Lyon. Oliver could become one of the games greats. I still have fond memories of Todd Viney. He was exceptional.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,754]

Amazing how Garry Lyon is universally supported on this site for his assessment of Oliver but totally vilified for his role in choosing coaches. Apparently he only knows some things about football.  

[Macca 16,963]

1 hour ago, TeamPlayedFine39 said:

Thank god Sydney matched our bid on Mills.

Thank god Gold Coast traded us pick three.

Thank god we took a risk on a draft bolter and didn't play the safe pick in Parish.

Clarrie did win the Morrish Medal (fairest & best in the Under 18 comp) so every club would have known about him.  But you're right,  working our way to the 3 pick was a masterstroke. 

The Bombers were all set to take Oliver and Parish with picks 5 & 6 but we usurped them.  

 

[Jaded No More 68,910]

10 minutes ago, dl4e said:

I have to agree with Lyon. Oliver could become one of the games greats. I still have fond memories of Todd Viney. He was exceptional.

I reckon Todd’s son might end up better than him too just quietly. 

[Demonland 72,176]

 

[Willmoy1947 4,085]

46 minutes ago, Macca said:

"In Lyon's time on earth" but ...

Clarrie has a long way to go before he catches up with Ron Barassi

I never saw RDB play but I know plenty who did see him play ... a gun ruck-rover (midfielder) who was arguably best on ground in 3 winning grand finals.  Universally regarded as a great footballer.

Oliver is on a similar trajectory but he's still got to get there. 

Not sure we should ever dismiss the past so easily.

Yes the older i get the less i dismiss....

 

25 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Amazing how Garry Lyon is universally supported on this site for his assessment of Oliver but totally vilified for his role in choosing coaches. Apparently he only knows some things about football.  

You wouldn't call him a know all though?

[Willmoy1947 4,085]

If i was playing against this bloke we are talking about it probably wouldn't hurt to shake his hand after a game and not wash it for a while. I reckon he's that good..........

[Deespicable 2,726]

I didn't hear Lyon, but if he rated Oliver the best he's seen at Deeland, then he's pretty much on the money in my opinion.

Garry would never have seen Ronald Dale or Brian Dixon and I doubt he saw Stan Alves or Greg Wells in demon colours, so there's really only one player ahead of him and it's already been pointed out that 'Tulip' Robbie Flower was very much an outside mid. Gerard Healy's final year at our club in 1985 was Oliver-esque but much of his early years were spent as a forward, so i've left him out of my list below, but he's the only other player who can be mentioned in the same breath as these guys. Also left out on a positional basis were Adam Yze, Steven Febey (best work as half back), Brett Lovett (same) and Glenn Lovett (half forward).  I also remember more of Willow as our gifted umpy-appealing forward, even though he was a pure mid for his Brownlow year with us and flipped spots a bit. 

My 10 best Dee mids I've seen (which dates back to 1971) are:

1) Robbie Flower - Kept our club alive with hope in the 70s and early 80s. Could do anything, just watch any state game highlights.

2) Clayton Oliver - only a small sample, but his past two years have been huge and he's getting more confident in taking the game on.

3) Todd Viney - a bit wonky with his kicking at times, but grunt work was exceptional. Made everyone walk taller when he played.

4) Greg Wells - an unbelievable mark for his size and he didn't even have a leap - just great at positioning his body.

5) Stan Alves - one of the first to realise the importance of fitness and out on his wing, he found space.

6) Jack Viney - if he can keep injury free then he'll climb up the order. He's our Joel Selwood.

7) Stephen Tingay - when he was hot during the early 90s, so were we. Had courage and a damaging kick on the run.

8) Nathan Jones - we all know he's a hard worker, but he's also very elusive for a bloke who's not exceptionally quick.

9) Shane Woewodin -OK, the haters are going to hate, but his 2000 year was inspiring and we did make the GF largely because of him.

10) Andrew Obst - a tremendous work ethic over a number of years and better in traffic than Sugar Healy IMO.

Likely to be on this list in a couple more years: Gus and Harmes

[Macca 16,963]

2 minutes ago, willmoy said:

Yes the older i get the less i dismiss....

I started a thread here once about the 'Best combined 22 that anyone here had seen play.'  That opened up the possibility for both young & old (here) to post up players from any era. 

But if I was picking an all-time great Demon 22 then I'd be putting up plenty who I never actually saw play.  Ivor Warne-Smith,  Norm Smith,  RDB and many others.

But RDB supersedes all and therefore has to be brought into the conversation ... he was too good a player and played as a ruck-rover (midfielder)

This is not to detract from Clarrie's obvious ability but he needs a similar output for a few more years yet before the true accolades can be bestowed on him.  

Wells is the best midfielder I've seen play at the club but again,  RDB is miles ahead of all of them if we trust the history.  And I trust the history.

[CBDees 3,167]

Clarry’s engineering of a double 50-metre penalty yesterday was legendary!  The best TV viewing I have seen in a long time! ?

[Gator 17,332]

Matthew Lloyd just said that to elevate his game and join the absolute best mids, like Patrick Cripps, he had to kick more goals.  

Cripps and Oliver average the same amount of goals across their career (.4) and averaged the same amount last year (.5).

I don't necessarily disagree and think Oliver will kick more goals, but at least get your facts right.

[Gator 17,332]

47 minutes ago, Deespicable said:

I didn't hear Lyon, but if he rated Oliver the best he's seen at Deeland, then he's pretty much on the money in my opinion.

Garry would never have seen Ronald Dale or Brian Dixon and I doubt he saw Stan Alves or Greg Wells in demon colours, so there's really only one player ahead of him and it's already been pointed out that 'Tulip' Robbie Flower was very much an outside mid. Gerard Healy's final year at our club in 1985 was Oliver-esque but much of his early years were spent as a forward, so i've left him out of my list below, but he's the only other player who can be mentioned in the same breath as these guys. Also left out on a positional basis were Adam Yze, Steven Febey (best work as half back), Brett Lovett (same) and Glenn Lovett (half forward).  I also remember more of Willow as our gifted umpy-appealing forward, even though he was a pure mid for his Brownlow year with us and flipped spots a bit. 

My 10 best Dee mids I've seen (which dates back to 1971) are:

1) Robbie Flower - Kept our club alive with hope in the 70s and early 80s. Could do anything, just watch any state game highlights.

2) Clayton Oliver - only a small sample, but his past two years have been huge and he's getting more confident in taking the game on.

3) Todd Viney - a bit wonky with his kicking at times, but grunt work was exceptional. Made everyone walk taller when he played.

4) Greg Wells - an unbelievable mark for his size and he didn't even have a leap - just great at positioning his body.

5) Stan Alves - one of the first to realise the importance of fitness and out on his wing, he found space.

6) Jack Viney - if he can keep injury free then he'll climb up the order. He's our Joel Selwood.

7) Stephen Tingay - when he was hot during the early 90s, so were we. Had courage and a damaging kick on the run.

8) Nathan Jones - we all know he's a hard worker, but he's also very elusive for a bloke who's not exceptionally quick.

9) Shane Woewodin -OK, the haters are going to hate, but his 2000 year was inspiring and we did make the GF largely because of him.

10) Andrew Obst - a tremendous work ethic over a number of years and better in traffic than Sugar Healy IMO.

Likely to be on this list in a couple more years: Gus and Harmes

Strange list.

Wingers like Flower and Alves weren't really mids in the sense they are now.  They weren't on-ballers.

Woewodin in your top 10 ?  Wow.  Yze and Wilson were much better than Woewodin. 

Greg Wells was a much better player than Todd Viney.

Anyway, we all see things differently.

[Moonshadow 17,676]

1 hour ago, Macca said:

 

The Bombers were all set to take Oliver and Parish with picks 5 & 6 but we usurped them.  

 

 

[Dee Dee 1,108]

Of course in the “good old days” Melbourne had a couple or real champs in 3 times premiership captain and centreman Allan LaFontain and rover Percy Beames. Now they were the days, one umpire and no TV. Ya had to have eyes in the back of ya head. Today’s kids.....

Edited March 4, 2019 by Dee Dee

[binman 42,910]

5 hours ago, Hillary Bray said:

 

I remember some on here going on about how Jesse would be better than Neitz. I wonder if that feel that way now?

Not sure the connection to Oliver but I was definitely one of those people.

How do I feel now? 100% confident I will be proved correct. Why wouldn't I be?

Neita is a true mfc great and one or my all time favorites. games record holder. Fantastic, inspirational skipper. Great team man.

 But if truth be told was not an A grader as his modest AA record attests. Early on had 1 great season whete it appeared he could be anything. Good but not great thereafter. Went through a period where he couldn't catch a cold.

Jessie has had an incredible start to his career. Suoer consisyent. And if he keeps focused will get better. And be a level above neita