Why Oliver is More Dangerous Than You Think

[Demonland 70,259]

DEE-LIGHTFUL

Clayton Oliver’s 2021

Disposals 32.5 (Career-high)

Contested possessions 16.5 (Career-high)

Metres gained 386 (Career-high)

Score involvements 8.2 (Career-high)

Source: CHAMPION DATA

[whatwhat say what 22,133]

superstar

best mid at the dees we've ever had since i started watching footy in 85 or so

[WERRIDEE 5,347]

Champion. It's amazing to think that would could have 3 of the all time greats at the club at the one time in Gawn, Petracca and Oliver.

[dazzledavey36 52,738]

Can someone pm me article please..

[Pickett2Jackson 3,904]

Sorry Mr Landsberger but I have always know Clayton is dangerous.  Would love to see him hit the scoreboard though.

[Lord Nev 13,512]

7 minutes ago, Pickett2Jackson said:

Sorry Mr Landsberger but I have always know Clayton is dangerous.  Would love to see him hit the scoreboard though.

Ranked 2nd for score involvements and equal 4th for goal assists for us.

Might not be kicking many himself, but he's involved heavily in the scoreboard in a way.

[picket fence 16,657]

Just a champion

[Willmoy1947 3,966]

Because everyone we have played this year is trying to kill him...

[Ted Lasso 18,781]

He's an absolute jet. he's known for winning the ball and his quick hands but he's got serious wheels and he's a beautiful kick and overhead mark. he's a very complete player. 

the insane thing about Clarry and Trac is they're still 2-3 years off hitting their prime. 

[Adam The God 29,359]

My favourite player. He's getting close to A+ grade and has been A grade since his third season.

Criminally underrated by the press and perhaps even more underrated by Melbourne supporters. The guy is a genuine star of the game. If he stays at Melbourne for his career, he'll be one of our greats.

Glad he's finally getting some media kudos. He only managed an AA jacket in his third year.

A Sam Mitchell clone, except explosive from the contest.

[Pickett2Jackson 3,904]

1 hour ago, Lord Nev said:

Ranked 2nd for score involvements and equal 4th for goal assists for us.

Might not be kicking many himself, but he's involved heavily in the scoreboard in a way.

Yeah hes amazing.

And to be fair to Mr Landsberger he most likely wrote that article for non-Demon supporters who may not appreciate Olivers greatness so I thank him for spreading the word.

[deanox 9,657]

38 minutes ago, A F said:

My favourite player. He's getting close to A+ grade and has been A grade since his third season.

Criminally underrated by the press and perhaps even more underrated by Melbourne supporters. The guy is a genuine star of the game. If he stays at Melbourne for his career, he'll be one of our greats.

Glad he's finally getting some media kudos. He only managed an AA jacket in his third year.

A Sam Mitchell clone, except explosive from the contest.

Agree about how underrated he is. Does not get enough credit for what he does. Most of it is too quick to see.

He has worked on his kicking, and started to extend his vision from in close to long range.

I know disposal count isn't the most accurate stat for how good someone is but he has averaged the following number of disposals per game since his debut year: 19.2 (in 2016), 30.0, 29.4, 30.0, 25.1 (2020, equivalent to 31.4 pro rata for shorter quarters). For context, no other Melbourne player has ever averaged 30 disposals per game over a season.

If he hit the scoreboard directly a little more often (ie kicked those goals against GWS when he went forward) I think the media conversation would be a bit different.

Also he has a bit of lip on him, and I think he is one of those players that opposition supporters love to hate. Which probably adds to the downplaying of how good he actually is.

Edited May 1, 2021 by deanox
Fixed typo

[Adam The God 29,359]

1 minute ago, deanox said:

Agree about how underrated he is. Does not get enough credit for what he does. Most of it is too quick to see.

He has worked on his kicking, and started to extend his vision from in close to long range.

I know disposal count isn't the most accurate stat for how good someone is but he has averaged the following number of disposals per game since his debut year: 19.2 (in 2016), 30.0, 29.4, 30.0, 25.1 (2020, equivalent to 31.4 pro rata for shorter quarters). For context, no other Melbourne player has ever averages 30 disposals per game over a season.

If he hit the scoreboard directly a little more often (ie kicked those goals against GWS when he went forward) I think the media conversation would be a bit different.

Also he has a bit of lip on him, and I think he is one of those players that opposition supporters love to hate. Which probably adds to the downplaying of how good he actually is.

Sam Mitchell was similarly underrated until Hawthorn won a flag and then multiple flags, and that completely changed the conversation around him.

[Adam The God 29,359]

Funnily enough, Mitchell was also very lippy and a bit hated by opposition fans.

He used to kill us and I wished that he played for us. A few years later we got Oliver and he almost immediately started winning clearances like Mitchell.

[McQueen 17,864]

It’s also good to see Darcy Parish is also stating to get a few touches. 
 

But seriously, Paul Roos is the man to thank for getting Oliver in the red and blue. 

[whatwhat say what 22,133]

9 minutes ago, McQueen said:

It’s also good to see Darcy Parish is also stating to get a few touches. 
 

But seriously, Paul Roos is the man to thank for getting Oliver in the red and blue. 

Why Roos over Taylor?

[McQueen 17,864]

Because Roos alerted Taylor to Oliver’s contested game. It was far superior to Parish. 

[ding 5,126]

Incredible that some Demonlanders would have been un-concerned if Clayton was traded out. He has developed beyond our wildest dreams since hitting the ground running in his first season.

I doubt i will see another inside mid this good in the Red and Blue in my lifetime. The way he feeds the ball to others is just.... wow.

Love this kid.

[Forest Demon 4,681]

He’s a gun. I still cringe at some comments, even by some of our own supporters, who don’t quite understand what a player he is.

It seems he takes his time a little more in traffic now, allowing him to be more damaging with his already elite contested game. His kicking has improved out of sight, likely because of the above adjustment.

If he could nail those goals we are talking about him in the absolute top bracket of players in the comp. But even now, he is comfortably a top 10 mid in the competition.

[rpfc 28,048]

I cringe when I have to read nonsense like ‘he can’t kick’ because he misses gimmes like he did against GWS. 

Are you [censored] kidding me? What he does in the middle is extraordinary and some mouth breathing Dees supporters are on him because he tenses up in front of goal once a fortnight? They must really hate Fritsch then, he does it 3 times a game and it is his primary function.

Anyway, glad he is getting more recognition - he is one of our suite of bonafide stars; Gawn, Petracca, May, Lever and Oliver.

Edited May 1, 2021 by rpfc

[Deestroy All 14,262]

I can’t remember anyone more consistent from day dot to present. You could count his bad games on one thumb. 
Kicking has never been an issue as much as we’d like him to nail set shots. Compare Treloar’s kicking playing inside mid to this year all cushy on the outside. It’s a hard gig and Oliver does it better than most. 
 

Absolute beast. 

[Ollie fan 3,063]

Completely agree with the last post, and generally I can’t understand how people don’t see it with this player.Two Brownlow votes in his first game and he hasn’t stopped since. Our best midfielder since Barassi, I have no doubt, but perhaps Petracca will come to equal him when he has done it consistently for as long.

We are so fortunate at the moment, at Melbourne, we have four players in the top 10 in the coaches votes – not the team has more than one. And three of them form our midfield setup.

[Lord Nev 13,512]

9 hours ago, Pickett2Jackson said:

Yeah hes amazing.

And to be fair to Mr Landsberger he most likely wrote that article for non-Demon supporters who may not appreciate Olivers greatness so I thank him for spreading the word.

100%, seems to still be (bizarrely) underrated in the wider footy world.

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,631]

I honestly don't know what has happened to his goal kicking this year.  Over his career he has been pretty decient in front of the sticks, but this season he actually looks worse and less likely to nail a goal than Max.  Hope he is just saving up his accuracy for if/when we need that set short after the siren to win the game, I just hope that's not a grand final or something - that would send my blood pressure through the roof.

Agree with others regarding his goal assists and score involvements.  That play where he combined with Spargo to win possession and then flicked the perfectly placed handball to Jackson out the back around the corner was typical Clarry, making the dificult look easy and results in a goal that otherwise might not have been in the hands of another player.  Sure there were probably other great little handball gives out of congestion deep forward that he instigated as well, but that one to Jackson was peak Clarry.

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,631]

8 hours ago, deanox said:

Also he has a bit of lip on him, and I think he is one of those players that opposition supporters love to hate.

Love this part of his game.  That he mixes it up in a bit of a scuffle and then jogs away with a huge grin on his white pasty face and boofy head of red hair ensure he gets right under the skin of opposition supporters.  A joy to watch.