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What has happened to Clayton Oliver?

Elegt
Elegt
in Melbourne Demons

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I think the time has come to move Oliver out of the middle. We can't afford to have Viney and Oliver in the middle together. Its not working

We need more composure. And Viney can't play anywhere else.

Oliver is ineffective and turns the ball over with his happy hot potato handballs. He can play forward and that 's where he should go for now.

Viney has no other position and often gets in the way of Oliver.

We are better off with Salem in the middle to replace Oliver. Salem is not launching defensive attacks or providing run out of defence with his dinky 10m kicks sideways but he is composed and quite tough. He would be better in the middle where his decision making and skills would be better used.

We can't do any worse.

Goodwin has to do something different.

 

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    After watching the last two matches, it’s now obvious why Clayton handballs so much - he can’t f’ing hit a target by foot.

    How sad that a player of such ability will never reach his potential all because he has such limited kicking skills. 

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    12 minutes ago, Neil Crompton said:

    After watching the last two matches, it’s now obvious why Clayton handballs so much - he can’t f’ing hit a target by foot.

    How sad that a player of such ability will never reach his potential all because he has such limited kicking skills. 

    Agree. But that’s why there is the term Coach.  
     

    With the access to technology and psychological analysis and neuroscience and human biometrics modelling , surely the millions spent in the football department can get a bloke to kick the footy 45-50 metres in a straight line.  

    Or are the millions spent on ego and cliche training. 

    Oliver was a good kick in his under 18 year. He got worse as he has developed.  It’s also decision making.  He handballs to a teammate COMPLETELY SURROUNDED.  He needs composure as the media highlights. 
     

    BUT REMEMBER, He can get the footy 30 times in a match. That’s hard work. That’s talent. He has the ability.  You need to work on fixing his weakness and then continue to work on it week after week. 

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    He's the same player that has won our B&F the last couple of seasons. It'd be nice if he developed into a more dynamic player but as it stands, we've got ourselves a very good inside player.

    If we were winning, we'd all be singing his praises. 

    There's a few issues that this team needs to deal with but bashing one of our best is a fair way down that list.

     

     

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    • Like 1

    patrick cripps' kicking was worse than oliver's in his first few years and he's worked very hard to get it to a point where, after six years in system, he's still no better than 50/50 by foot

    still confident that oliver will go down in history as the best midfielder melbourne has had in a long, long time

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    5 minutes ago, Cheesy D. Pun said:

    He's the same player that has won our B&F the last couple of seasons. It'd be nice if he developed into a more dynamic player but as it stands, we've got ourselves a very good inside player.

    If we were winning, we'd all be singing his praises. 

    There's a few issues that this team needs to deal with but bashing one of our best is a fair way down that list.

     

     

    Disagree he is often fumbling and two grabbing the ball which is denying him and the team time and space. It is a major issue and if he can't grab the ball cleanly going forward we need to kick him out of the centre square. It is a disgrace the lack of clean centre clearances we get over the past 3 years given the ruck dominance we have.

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    5 minutes ago, Watts the matter said:

    Disagree he is often fumbling and two grabbing the ball which is denying him and the team time and space. It is a major issue and if he can't grab the ball cleanly going forward we need to kick him out of the centre square. It is a disgrace the lack of clean centre clearances we get over the past 3 years given the ruck dominance we have.

    Very difficult to know how good our mids are with Max putting it down their throats for their whole career.  I think Oliver  would be a handful played forward in bursts. Let some others do the crash and bash for a while. He would thrive with a little less gang tackling from set plays the opposition are aware of.

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    3 minutes ago, Half forward flank said:

    Very difficult to know how good our mids are with Max putting it down their throats for their whole career.  I think Oliver  would be a handful played forward in bursts. Let some others do the crash and bash for a while. He would thrive with a little less gang tackling from set plays the opposition are aware of.

    I remember when we were trialing it a couple of years ago he must have taken 4 or 5 marks inside 50. Unfortunately, I don't think it translated to any goals but he is a shell of that player now.

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    • Like 1
     

    I did some work With a recent opposition analyst for a AFL club, we spoke a lot about players etc and he blatantly told me they put little to no interest in Oliver, at first they started too in his early years, He pretty much said, “yes he gets it out, but he gets it to someone we already have covered and just sweat on them for the turnover.”

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    • Author

    I asked for a lift from clayton and it looks like I got one. Good on you clarry!!

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    Played a wonderful game tonight and glad to see him backing his kicking again and hitting some targets.

    I still believe he is judged to harshly due to the performances he’s put up in the past although he’s had some fair shanks this year which I’m not sure how that’s crept in.

    Kids still a star in my book. Has been since day 1

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    • Like 2

    Showed he was our number one mid tonight.

    I hope he takes the game on and kicks it more like he did tonight, because he could win a brownlow if he does.

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    Clarry is back. Huge game tonight. Good to see less of the dinky handballs and more drive out of stoppages again.

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    Fantastic game!

    the calls on here to trade  him were ludicrous. 

    This is the Oliver that is so good. 
    His willingness to break from the contest was the best thing to change this year.
     

     

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    • Like 1

    I think we've played him in the wrong role. He's been the first target from the ruck, when he should be the last.

    Let the others have a crack first and if they get it wrong Clarrie will clean up the mess. If they get it right, get it out to him and he has more time and space. He's got a Brownlow in him, managed correctly. Umpires hate him, but they'll be taught a lesson.

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    • Like 5
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    Too many on here have questioned a 2 time B&F WINNER and ALL AUSTRALIAN as trade bait!!?

    Well I hope he answered EMPHATICALLY Tonight!

    Brilliant performance and I must add Viney also was superb

    ANYWAY THIS IS MY TAKE

    image.png.a187eb8b1b0e22fd1bbe6fe96d931b46.png

    Clarry Choo Choo 

    Great performance! 

    PF

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    • Like 6
    1 hour ago, picket fence said:

    Too many on here have questioned a 2 time B&F WINNER and ALL AUSTRALIAN as trade bait!!?

    Well I hope he answered EMPHATICALLY Tonight!

    Brilliant performance and I must add Viney also was superb

    ANYWAY THIS IS MY TAKE

    image.png.a187eb8b1b0e22fd1bbe6fe96d931b46.png

    Clarry Choo Choo 

    Great performance! 

    PF

    Choo Choo PF! And pooh pooh to the naysayers. 

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    All the people wanting to trade Oliver go conveniently quite each time he gets a best on ground.

    It's quite embarassing really. 

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    A watershed game for Oliver.  The start of becoming not just a star but elite.

    That was a very damaging performance.  He played like an angry lad;  22 of his 34 disposals were contested.  And it was great to see him burst out of the packs and to kick a goal.  It will be huge for his confidence. Commentators saying that is Danger like aren't giving Oliver enough credit.  Danger wasn't playing like Oliver when he was 22.

    Portend of great things to come.

    Edited by Lucifer's Hero

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    • Like 5
     

    I don’t think he’ll ever be an elite kick but I’m sure he’ll definitely improve on it to the point he’s known as ‘very good’ kicker. If last nights a sample size of the future of this kid we’ll have 2 top 5 mids for the next 10 years.

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    Calls to trade Clarry were ridiculous. He's been a gun inside midfielder from his first game.

    What some people are frustrated by is the fact he's got the attributes to become more than just an inside mid, and could be a better inside mid. He could become a more rounded midfielder and hit the scoreboard too. Last night showed that. He was driving out of stoppages instead of dinky handballs to shift pressure. He was creating more space for himself and team mates and kicking to advantage more. He got himself more involved inside forward 50 and hit the scoreboard.

    He could become a superstar like Dangerfield or Martin. 

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