melbournefc.com.au

Future in focus: Oliver’s long-term deal

Clayton Oliver is ready to see what the future holds for Melbourne

It was all too good to be true

Can’t believe anyone took him in.

Thank you GWS!!

He is your problem now

We can enjoy 2 mill off our salary.

him and Trac

Goodwin has much culpability on his hands for his dismal handling of 2024 and 2025.

He, Roffey and Pert allowed our time on top to turn in to an unmitigated disaster.

2 minutes ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Agree

From “outside of the MFC 4-walls”, right now this can only be described as a disaster.

Clayton Oliver. 4 x MFC B&F winner. 205 games. One of the very best players ever to wear red & blue. Signed in 2021 to a monster 8 year deal. Seemingly now being harpooned at age 29, reportedly to be traded out for a “future 3rd round in 2026” which probably ends up as a pick “55” that MFC won’t even use !!

And to also have to pay for anywhere between reported 40-50% of his wage for the next 5 seasons at circa $700k per annum

I hope the “inside the MFC 4-walls” has got this one right !?!?! It’s going to be a sad end to a year once sparkling Demon career.

1 minute ago, Demons11 said:

🤔

Absolutely spot on Norm. This club administration is beyond belief. A player as good as Clarry being virtually given away free. I can hear the Giants laughing so loudly at our incompetence. After 65 years of membership I am joining with a few of my mates in refusing to renew my membership next season. Sad, I know, but that's how we feel. Of course, we will always be demons but now we can't see much hope of improvement for a long long time.

I'm not sure why posters are surprised

The talk in the media was a chunk of his salary for a late pick

We let the Clarry problem fester for way too long. This is the price we are paying so we can reset under King

I'm not Pert's biggest fan but turns out he was right last year. Overruled by goody unfortunately

7 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

Goodwin has much culpability on his hands for his dismal handling of 2024 and 2025.

He, Roffey and Pert allowed our time on top to turn in to an unmitigated disaster.

100% this

24 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

If we knew this was coming, we should have let him go to Geelong last year.

Or we should have started this process earlier than two business days before trade period, so that we didn’t have to rush it.

There’s almost nothing we’ve done in relation to this situation that is anything other than shambolic. And we’re about to pay a ridiculously steep price for that.

This.

Everyone pointing to purported behaviour or whatever is missing the point. The time to trade him would have been then, not some years down the track, after we accepted his behaviour and subsequent attempts to rectify his behaviour. Because if we’re letting go of the Clarry who is working hard and has regained his focus and health, for a FUTURE 3rd round for a team doing well… AND paying a chunk of his salary… WHAT ARE WE DOING???

Yeah we’re getting rid of some salary but we get nothing back in terms of someone who can help to propel this club.

Gah. What a flipping mess.

If Clarry's really worth so much more and we're getting burned on the trade, why is no-one offering more than GWS? Clubs should have been queuing up to get Clarry on the cheap, why did the Crows not pursue a player who would easily fill their biggest need? Or why didn't the Pies try harder?

I'll always be grateful to Clarry for our recent success and he was one of the best I've ever seen in red and blue. I sincerely wish the best for his personal happiness and wellbeing above all and hope he figures things out once more and becomes a star again at GWS, and it hurts that he doesn't end up a one club player and MFC legend (actually, I think he's rightfully still an MFC legend).

It's also clear that he's been extremely problematic in recent years, both from whispers and general AFL perception, as well as arguably having lost a step on the field. That's reflected in his current trade value and our having to pay a heap of salary to get rid of him. Whatever mistakes were made in the past by not trading him last year are spilt milk under the bridge; I believe it's in the both the current new administrations' best interest and Clarry's to part ways here. I don't think this would have played out differently regardless of how it was handled. Clarry most likely won't be part of our next flag push, and the way he is right now in Melbourne, I would say not the kind of person we want around a rebuilding club. Again, I think we should provide all the help he needs and hope he gets it, but as a professional organisation we can't be beholden to his antics anymore.

Obviously there's a lot of info we're not really privy to on the sidelines, but though this is sad I think it's for the best and just reality, not a reflection on Lamb's trading ability or the current admin's poor management. All the best Claz, loved seeing you in red and blue and hope you get back to your best 🫡

29 minutes ago, Lucifers Hero said:

That sounds like an impassioned plea, Wells.

Sadly, we can't. Too many bridges burnt over time.

And after the dummy spit reaction to the meeting to discuss his role can't see him wanting to come back.

Well if we can't strike an agreement with GWS, Oliver will only have one place to go to by the looks of it ... the MFC

And we'll have to pay him the $7Million that we owe him

I once listened to an ex soccer player in the UK talking about what his obligations were to see out his hefty contract

"Just never miss a training session or meeting and then they have to pay you"

1 minute ago, Macca said:

Well if we can't strike an agreement with GWS, Oliver will only have one place to go to by the looks of it ... the MFC

And we'll have to pay him the $7Million that we owe him

I once listened to an ex soccer player in the UK talking about what his obligations were to see out his hefty contract

"Just never miss a training session or meeting and then they have to pay you"

But we will take the deal as offered. We have no choice.

27 minutes ago, bing181 said:

I'm not sure what workplaces you've experienced, but there can be any number of reasons why someone could be fulfilling their contract in terms of capability but be an overall negative in terms of other employees, which then impacts productivity.

But that’s just my point. Even in his 2025 season, the football department rated him as the 6th most valuable player per bnf results. If he was having a negative impact on other players that would surely be reflected. I’ve been a part of competitive sports organisations and other successful professional organisations and I can say everywhere I’ve been has had its share of dheads, but if they get the job done then good organisations find a way to extract the best from them.

Have a look at this year’s top 4. Brisbane, Geelong, Collingwood, Hawthorn. Don’t have to look to far to see players who haven’t got the cleanest record off field but they make it work, and they’ve all been successful consistently for a while now.

Its about renewing our list before Tassie comes in.

Its sad to see Tracc and Oliver go but four 1st rounders over the previous 2 years and another 2 this year is a big part of the renewal.

26 minutes ago, Lucifers Hero said:

Correct. Pert knew what had to be done and why. But Clarry's protectors closed ranks and Clarry stayed only for there be no value in a trade 12 months later.

Very, very sad for everyone..

Don't disagree, but this is a reflection on the chaos at the top at the time. These are the kinds of decisions that need(ed) strong, clear leadership, which we didn't have. No accident that this was something that Goodwin highlighted in his departure presser.

No accident either that Guerra, King and co come in and these tough decisions are now being made. Something about breaking eggs and omelettes comes to mind.

What a joke, offloading a club legend for next to nothing (negative outcome really because whatever we’re saving, we’re still paying for Clarry to play elsewhere).

All because of events from a couple of years ago. Unless there are present issues, and we have no visibility on that, but you know full well if Clarry was causing issues, it would have been reported on, because the media have latched on to him and we leak. So I’m going to take that as no new issues. Just past ones that we accepted as part of a commitment to make good and get better. Which he did.

Awful stuff and I think it will come back to haunt us.

We could offer them a pick to pay more.. for example pick 24 if they pay his entire wage

Its easy to see why the club didn't trade him last year; same reason we extended Viney's and Gawn's contracts when there was no need to. The club was in damage control and needed good optics and to look 'stable'. Hence those decisions.

It was a cop out by the FD and the Board. They all knew what was happening and ignored it.

We did Oliver a great disservice by not trading him last year. Who knows how much better he would be in all respects living on a farm far away and protected from the media spotlight.

52 minutes ago, Very Jaded said:

I can’t wait for the 9,000,000 posts next year by everyone here who were pushing for Clarry to be sold off for a pack of condoms for the last two years, having a full blown meltdown that he’s playing well and we are paying him to do it

Careful what you wish for

Yeah well I am well and truly in that boat and I hope he has a "Stellar" season

11 minutes ago, BDA said:

Overruled by goody unfortunately

You don't know that.

Across all these threads, one thing that has been reinforced is that moving on marquee players is a club-wide decision, right up to the Board.

Just now, bing181 said:

You don't know that.

Across all these threads, one thing that has been reinforced is that moving on marquee players is a club-wide decision, right up to the Board.

Goody was his biggest supporter. Pretty sure if Goody was in favour of a trade last year, clarry would be playing for the cats now

12 minutes ago, Krakataka said:

spilt milk under the bridge

Great film, and great performance from Jeremy Irons

4 minutes ago, Lucifers Hero said:

Its easy to see why the club didn't trade him last year; same reason we extended Viney's and Gawn's contracts when there was no need to. The club was in damage control and needed good optics and to look 'stable'. Hence those decisions.

It was a cop out by the FD and the Board. They all knew what was happening and ignored it.

We did Oliver a great disservice by not trading him last year. Who knows how much better he would be in all respects living on a farm far away and protected from the media spotlight.

Oliver is an adult who made a commitment to the club and vice versa. If you don't like the spotlight go be a plumber

I cant believe there isnt another club out there willing to out bid that offer , take him for 700k and give up a 2nd round draft pick. Serious miscalculations being made here for someone who is still, at the least, an above average afl midfielder. Bizarre.

3 minutes ago, BDA said:

Goody was his biggest supporter. Pretty sure if Goody was in favour of a trade last year, clarry would be playing for the cats now

The Head Coach is but one vote on the List Management committee.

Also, Goodwin had to say re Clarry what King has had to say re Trac. The head coach can't be seen to be dissing his players in public, regardless of what they acknowledge behind closed doors.

27 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

Goodwin has much culpability on his hands for his dismal handling of 2024 and 2025.

He, Roffey and Pert allowed our time on top to turn in to an unmitigated disaster.

You would have preferred we tell Oliver to go to the Cats last off-season?

I think a lot of us thought he could regain his form

1 minute ago, Jjrogan said:

I cant believe there isnt another club out there willing to out bid that offer , take him for 700k and give up a 2nd round draft pick.

So what does that tell you?