Oliver - From Butcher to Baker

[Moonshadow 17,675]

3 hours ago, drdrake said:

Compare him to Fyfe or Mundy last night they just control the football, don't fumble, don't burst from a centre clearance and absolutely shank it, that seems to happen a bit to Oliver.

Oliver, just turned 23 and 83 games

Fyfe, 29 in a week and 185 games

Mundy, 35 yo and 300+ games

Not apples with apples.

Perhaps we just overrate Oliver here?

[deegirl 1,577]

4 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

I really rate Clayton Oliver highly. I think he can push up and become an A grade player. 
 

✅ He has real ability to win the footy. His contested possessions must be the equal of any player in the league.  Heart of a lion. 
✅He has pace 

✅He tackles and 2nd effort rate is high 
 

BUT BUT BUT 

❌ his footskills are desperately needed to improve . He can kick it 50+ metres but often it skews or tumbles. Hitting a target!?!?!  One pass this year to Trac was highlighted as a turning point. Yet many more a missing their targets even when he’s clear.  His preseason assignment.  Kicking kicking and kicking   

❌ his decision making is sub-par. He still looks to handball far too much but this is slowly changing. He sells his teammates into trouble. 
❌goalkicking. On the run from 30-40 out he needs to land the goal.  Martin. Dangerfield.  Neale. That’s the standard. 
 

For possessions Clarry is a gun. For effective possessions (as shown in champion data and fantasy points) is poor.  
 

I want to really get into Clarry that he can be a champion. Not by trying harder but being better at core footy skills. 
 

He is young and at 23, time is right to elevate his footy and become A grade 

THIS

Improvement & development isn't linear.  Oliver is a gun and over time he will become truly A Grade.

 

[TeamPlayedFine39 8,495]

5 minutes ago, Moonshadow said:

Oliver, just turned 23 and 83 games

Fyfe, 29 in a week and 185 games

Mundy, 35 yo and 300+ games

Not apples with apples.

Perhaps we just overrate Oliver here?

Not sure it's an issues of overrating Oliver, more that it is unfair of us to expect him to play the same as a 29yo 2 x Brownlow medalist and a 300 gamer like Mundy.  Last night's conditions were out of this world - the experienced Mundy and Fyfe played with much cooler heads than our younger mids.

Oliver is still a baby by afl standards, as frustrating as it feels, there are going to be inconsistencies in his games for the next few years.  When he's 26, then we can expect Fyfe-like performances and consistency.

 

[whitito 187]

He is the least of our problems

[BW511 2,662]

There’s still plenty of time for Clayton to get better and I hope he does. 

I think our mids need an older, wiser head in there with them to call the shots so they can just play. We don’t have a very high IQ midfield unit at present, could do with someone to keep them all in line and to know when to put the foot down or slow things up.