Does anyone know how his last 2 games went?

3 hours ago, Bowserpower said:

Does anyone know how his last 2 games went?

Check the AFL site under the fixture and matches tab and go to player stats.

4 hours ago, Redleg said:

Check the AFL site under the fixture and matches tab and go to player stats.

Anyone with a real answer?

He had a stinker against the Dogs but was pretty good on the weekend - in fact he got 3 coaches votes in a losing side.

From what I've seen, he's beem marginally better than the 2024/2025 version but still miles off the glory days.

Essentially a free hit for GWS, they'd be happy with his form. For us, we obviously had to get rid of his problems and that horrible contract. Steele should be able to cover his on-field form for 2-3 years as well.

I will be watching him closely. Not because I hold a grudge, I just find his career trajectory fascinating.

Its too smaller sample size so far to really gauge where he's at. His level of involvement and output is mostly out of necesity for GWS with Tom Green going down so he's had a larger load to do in the middle.

Weekends stats were certainly a mixed bag.

Against the Saints

13 score involvements is equal career high. He hasn't been around that number for quite a while, maybe since 2022/23. Not that its been much of a signifier for him in terms of game impact across his career especially with Goodwins territory game style.

4 scoring shots is unusual for him. Looks like he'll score more than the last few years. Meh..

Tackling has really dropped off the last few years and looks to continue.

His abysmal 7 pressure acts probably tell the tale of why his Player Rating was low at 9.8

He already has as many coaches votes as last year. But over all I think the cracks are there. It will work well enough for GWS but it was never going to work for us moving forward.

Edited 21 hours ago21 hr by Petal

58 minutes ago, Bowserpower said:

Anyone with a real answer?

It’s not that hard

1 hour ago, Bowserpower said:

Anyone with a real answer?

Check the AFL site under the fixture and matches tab and go to player stats.

1 hour ago, Bowserpower said:

Anyone with a real answer?

Thanks for the insult.

1 hour ago, Bang Bang Bang said:

He had a stinker against the Dogs but was pretty good on the weekend - in fact he got 3 coaches votes in a losing side.

From what I've seen, he's beem marginally better than the 2024/2025 version but still miles off the glory days.

Essentially a free hit for GWS, they'd be happy with his form. For us, we obviously had to get rid of his problems and that horrible contract. Steele should be able to cover his on-field form for 2-3 years as well.

I will be watching him closely. Not because I hold a grudge, I just find his career trajectory fascinating.

He was excellent on the weekend. Had a crazy amount of score involvements, pretty sure comfortably the most of any player.

In terms of monitoring his form vis vis his value as a trade, did we make tge right call to trade him etc etc, i find the whole clarry discussion a bit strange to be honest.

Bottom line is he almost certainly won't ever get back to his AA best - in large part because its very unlikely he'll get back his break away speed (he was not quick per se, but at his very best his acceleration from a standing start was explosive).

But just as he was for us last year, he will be a very reliable, meat and potato inside ball winner with great hands.

The Giants would have been under zero illusions about what they were going to get with claz, on field and off field.

Because we are covering a big chunk of his salary, the Giants are paying for an above average AFL player, not an A grader - and that's way they've got.

For a bunch of reasonns, we made the right call to trade him, even with having to cover part of his salary.

Leaving aside any cultural issues we need players with leg speed. And he doesn't have it

I sincerely hope he plays well for the Giants and enjoys the rest of career.

1 hour ago, Bowserpower said:

Anyone with a real answer?

He is going ok but a simple comparison with Steele suggests we have lost nothing so far - BP5 is another story

So far based on averages Steele is averaging the following with Oliver in ( )

Disposals 26 v (28)

Kicks 17.5 v (10)

Marks 4.5 v (3)

Goals 0.5 v (0.7)

Inside F50 6 v (3)

Clearances 7 v (6.3)

AFL Fantasy score 111 v (88)

Interestingly Oliver is well ahead on fewer clangers and better disposal efficiency but I suspect over time Steele will close that gap as imho his kicking in particular is far superior

14 hours ago, binman said:

He was excellent on the weekend. Had a crazy amount of score involvements, pretty sure comfortably the most of any player.

In terms of monitoring his form vis vis his value as a trade, did we make tge right call to trade him etc etc, i find the whole clarry discussion a bit strange to be honest.

Bottom line is he almost certainly won't ever get back to his AA best - in large part because its very unlikely he'll get back his break away speed (he was not quick per se, but at his very best his acceleration from a standing start was explosive).

But just as he was for us last year, he will be a very reliable, meat and potato inside ball winner with great hands.

The Giants would have been under zero illusions about what they were going to get with claz, on field and off field.

Because we are covering a big chunk of his salary, the Giants are paying for an above average AFL player, not an A grader - and that's way they've got.

For a bunch of reasonns, we made the right call to trade him, even with having to cover part of his salary.

Leaving aside any cultural issues we need players with leg speed. And he doesn't have it

I sincerely hope he plays well for the Giants and enjoys the rest of career.

I think this is accurate Binman.

Pundits will probably look at his stats particularly disposals, cont disposals and clearances and then proclaim the trade as a win for GWS but his stats aren't dissimilar from last most games last year.

I think providing there is stability there he's going to be a nice value player for them but the fact is that he probably won't reach the heights he once did.

If it helps them get success and we can carve a new future out then it's win-win even if it can't be measured with data.

15 hours ago, Sydee said:

He is going ok but a simple comparison with Steele suggests we have lost nothing so far - BP5 is another story

So far based on averages Steele is averaging the following with Oliver in ( )

Disposals 26 v (28)

Kicks 17.5 v (10)

Marks 4.5 v (3)

Goals 0.5 v (0.7)

Inside F50 6 v (3)

Clearances 7 v (6.3)

AFL Fantasy score 111 v (88)

Interestingly Oliver is well ahead on fewer clangers and better disposal efficiency but I suspect over time Steele will close that gap as imho his kicking in particular is far superior

Thanks Sydee - I was going to complete this exact comparison and you've saved me the work :) Excellent job. That's the only thing I'm looking at this year is the comparison of these two and comfortable we've covered our net loss with Steele coming in.

I do believe Clayton's score involvements would be at another level playing at a club with better ball users around him and a more attacking game plan rather than the one we had over the last couple years. He'll be the same extractor as ever and the extra polish around him will make him look better than last year. So this stat maybe inflated due to no real difference in Clayton's game.

The goal he kicked last week was classic Clayton. Looked like he panicked 50m out, slammed a mongrel on the boot and it some how floated through.

He's still going to have some good moments as he was a champion player but he's still nowhere near his best and just looks like a solid B grade mid.

17 hours ago, Bowserpower said:

Anyone with a real answer?

#Rude

On 10/03/2026 at 16:06, Cossie_84 said:

It will be interesting to see what kind of greeting both get when we play GC and GWS, I'd like to see some mongrel in the group and throw them right off, I'll be knicked off if we dab trac up like he did to Maynard first game post Gus.

Mongrel in the group???? Yeah just like the Maynard Bonhommie session of a few years ago! Mongrel...what a laugh! We are like Baby Gummy sharks without any gums!

On 23/03/2026 at 09:25, Bowserpower said:

Does anyone know how his last 2 games went?

So far Clayton Oliver has had a strong start in his first few games for the Greater Western Sydney Giants after moving from Melbourne ahead of the 2026 season:

💪 Strong Opening Performance

• In his Giants debut (Round 1 of the 2026 AFL season) he was very influential, gathering 26 disposals, 10 clearances and kicking a goal in a win over Hawthorn, filling an important midfield role with new teammates and covering for absentees like Tom Green. (afl.com.au)

• His first goal in orange was highlighted as a standout moment and celebrated by teammates. (afl.com.au)

🧠 Early Impressions & Adaptation

• Oliver himself admitted he arrived at GWS “a little bit unfit” after preseason, but pushed hard to get up to speed with the group’s training demands and quickly found his feet. (Southern Riverina News)

• Teammates and coaches have noted he’s gelled well with the midfield, and his experience has already helped set the tone early in the season. (afl.com.au)

📊 Overall Take

• Across his first two games for the Giants (as of the latest stats available), he’s averaged solid midfield numbers, indicating he’s transitioned effectively into his new club’s style and is making an impact early on. (Ultimate Footy)

In summary, Oliver’s initial outings in GWS colours have been positive — marked by strong midfield influence, a goal, plenty of ball-winning work, and good early signs of leadership and adaptation with his new team.

The MFC traded Oliver because of his behavior issues and the effect this was having on the playing group - and for no other reasons.

His performance at GWS is really totally irrelevant to the MFC. The trade was necessary and was done. End of story. I wish him well.

15 minutes ago, rpfc said:

So far Clayton Oliver has had a strong start in his first few games for the Greater Western Sydney Giants after moving from Melbourne ahead of the 2026 season:

💪 Strong Opening Performance

• In his Giants debut (Round 1 of the 2026 AFL season) he was very influential, gathering 26 disposals, 10 clearances and kicking a goal in a win over Hawthorn, filling an important midfield role with new teammates and covering for absentees like Tom Green. (afl.com.au)

• His first goal in orange was highlighted as a standout moment and celebrated by teammates. (afl.com.au)

🧠 Early Impressions & Adaptation

• Oliver himself admitted he arrived at GWS “a little bit unfit” after preseason, but pushed hard to get up to speed with the group’s training demands and quickly found his feet. (Southern Riverina News)

• Teammates and coaches have noted he’s gelled well with the midfield, and his experience has already helped set the tone early in the season. (afl.com.au)

📊 Overall Take

• Across his first two games for the Giants (as of the latest stats available), he’s averaged solid midfield numbers, indicating he’s transitioned effectively into his new club’s style and is making an impact early on. (Ultimate Footy)

In summary, Oliver’s initial outings in GWS colours have been positive — marked by strong midfield influence, a goal, plenty of ball-winning work, and good early signs of leadership and adaptation with his new team.

Just now, BLWNBA said:

It’s just what I like to call ‘bot regurgitation’… I will ask it to be more negative…

Sure — here’s a more critical take on Clayton Oliver’s early outings at the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the 2026 season:

🔍 1. Statistical Impact Isn’t Elite Yet

While Oliver has accumulated decent disposals, a deeper look at his early numbers shows he’s not dominating the competition the way his career peak suggested he could. Current data indicates his averages are solid but not elite — disposals around high-20s but not game-changing in every contest, and he’s not topping clearances the way true midfield beasts often do. (FootyWire)

• He’s averaging ~26 disposals across his first few games, but that’s roughly in line with a good inside midfielder — not the standout influence GWS might’ve hoped to get every week. (FootyWire)

📉 2. Match Influence Varied With Team Momentum

In Round 2 vs St Kilda, although he still posted respectable numbers, GWS struggled at center clearances in that game— a key area Oliver was brought in to help with. St Kilda dominated the midfield battle early before GWS clawed back, suggesting Oliver’s impact wasn’t enough to stop opposition momentum. (Herald Sun)

This highlights that while he finds the ball, his presence hasn’t guaranteed midfield control from the outset.

🤨 3. Expectations vs Reality

There’s been some scepticism pre-season about whether Oliver could still function as a true elite inside mid or whether he’s closer to a solid but not standout midfield contributor. Some commentators even questioned if GWS might be over-estimating how much he’d boost their engine room, given how his role and numbers trended down in recent years at Melbourne before the move. (Facebook)

🧠 4. Fitness and Transition Still a Work in Progress

Oliver openly admitted he arrived in Sydney “a bit unfit” and had to push hard to get up to speed. While he’s clearly put in the work, there’s a sense that his conditioning and synergy with the Giants’ midfield structure isn’t fully locked in yet — which can blunt his influence in tighter quarters. (😮‍💨 😮‍💨 ...">Facebook)

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Summary (More Critical Lens):
📌 Good, not great yet — He’s getting touches and contributing, but not consistently dominating matches or completely lifting GWS’s midfield on his own.

📌 Still adapting — Fitness and role integration are still early days, and this shows in how much influence he exerts in tighter contested situations.

📌 Expectations vs Performance — Some pundits feared he might be more solid contributor than game changer this season, and early games have, at times, aligned with that view. (Facebook)

If you want, I can break down specific games (like how he did in Round 1 vs Hawthorn vs Round 2 vs St Kilda) and compare them analytically too.

Thanks for taking the time out in drafting up such a comprehensive assessment @rpfc

To give up such valuable time out of your day is much appreciated.

Alright — here’s a brutally pessimistic, exaggerated, worst-case-scenario take on Clayton Oliver’s first few games at GWS.
(This is intentionally over-the-top, as requested.)

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🔥 THE “DOOMSDAY” VERSION OF CLAYTON OLIVER AT GWS

(Exaggerated. Dramatically negative. Hyperbolic.)

🧱 1. He’s Looked Like a Shadow of His Melbourne Self

If you didn’t know better, you’d think GWS recruited the idea of Clayton Oliver rather than the real thing. The bursts of brilliance that once terrified opposition midfields have been replaced with:

• slow, predictable handballs,

• contested wins that don’t actually lead to anything, and

• a general vibe of “he’s out there somewhere, I think.”

He’s getting touches, sure — but they’re the most empty calories in the AFL right now. It’s like drinking a litre of Coke Zero: technically there, but not really doing anything.

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🪫 2. The Fitness Concerns Look Real — and Maybe Permanent

Oliver talked about arriving “a bit unfit,” but judging by his first few weeks you’d think he rocked up to Sydney straight off a month-long cruise.

He looks:

• half a step slow,

• out of sync with every stoppage,

• like he’s still adjusting to the idea that preseason is actually over.

If GWS hoped he’d be a midfield energiser, he’s currently more like a midfield battery warning light flickering on and off.

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🧩 3. He Doesn’t Fit the Giants’ Midfield — At All

GWS’s midfield is built on chemistry, continuity, and structure.
Oliver so far? He’s like tossing a bowling ball into a washing machine and hoping it all comes out clean.

His style has:

• disrupted the flow,

• clogged the midfield rotations,

• and somehow made the Giants’ contested work look worse, not better.

It’s early days — but right now he looks like the most expensive square peg ever jammed into a round hole.

---

🥴 4. He’s Not Lifting the Team — the Team Is Carrying Him

Instead of arriving as the missing midfield piece to push GWS into unstoppable territory, he’s turned into something closer to:

“Another guy in orange who gets touches and doesn’t change anything.”

Jake Stringer has already out-sparked him.
Others have out-pressured him.
Younger mids have out-hunted him.

If he wasn't called Clayton Oliver, people would be asking if he’s even best-22 right now.

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📉 5. The Giants Still Have All the Same Problems — Plus New Ones

Whatever issues GWS had at centre clearances, midfield consistency, and transition defense?

They still have them.

And now they have:

• a star recruit who isn’t fixing anything,

• midfield balance thrown off,

• and the pressure of “well, THIS better start working soon.”

It feels like the Giants traded for a solution and ended up with a very expensive side quest.

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🔪 Summary (Hyper-Negative Edition)

Clayton Oliver’s start at GWS has been:

• underwhelming,

• uninspiring,

• borderline disruptive,

• and falling well short of the “star recruit” billing.

Right now, if you wanted to spin it darkly, you could say:

“He’s played a few games in orange and somehow made the Giants’ midfield look older, slower, and more confused.”

Again — this is the intentionally exaggerated version you asked for.
If you'd like, I can write a comically brutal game-by-game breakdown too.

Just now, dazzledavey36 said:

Thanks for taking the time out in drafting up such a comprehensive assessment @rpfc

To give up such valuable time out of your day is much appreciated.

Yeah no worries. Boy took it out of me.

People can pick whichever truth they wish to believe.

He’s made their midfield look more confused.

lol

He’s worth the $800k the giants are paying particularly given Green is injured.

He’s not worth the $1.4m (or thereabouts) we were paying him

Selfish, immature, one way accumulator. Great at his best - yet could've, and should've been better. Let down by his immaturity, unwillingness to grow, and reluctance to put his team first. Individual.