rpfc

We had the flu?! I AM SO RELIEVED! I thought we were bad!! But now I know we just had the sniffle-woowoos. I can go back to having overbearing and unearned expectations so I may disappoint and confuse myself as I watch only Melbourne play each week.

Yeah no worries. Boy took it out of me. People can pick whichever truth they wish to believe.

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.) 🔥 THE “DOOMSDAY” VERSION OF CLAYTON OLIVER AT GWS(Exaggerated. Dramatically negative. Hyperbolic.) 🧱 1. He’s Looked Like a Shadow of His Melbourne SelfIf 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. 🪫 2. The Fitness Concerns Look Real — and Maybe PermanentOliver 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. 🧩 3. He Doesn’t Fit the Giants’ Midfield — At AllGWS’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 HimInstead of arriving as the missing midfield piece to push GWS into unstoppable territory, he’s turned into something closer to: 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. 📉 5. The Giants Still Have All the Same Problems — Plus New OnesWhatever 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. 🔪 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: 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.

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 YetWhile 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 MomentumIn 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 RealityThere’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 ProgressOliver 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) 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.

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

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 PerformanceIn 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 & AdaptationOliver 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 TakeAcross 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.

Sparrow is a King favourite. AMW is there to stop people from kicking goals, not get a ‘dope 30’… Culley is playing a role, also for that matter is the energetic kid in 33 who is in the team for what he does without the ball. Let’s go beat Carlton, yeah?

Our ‘most talented players’ are kids, and kids go missing

For a growing number of you; when Jiath is finally dropped as the whipping boy of the loudest nuffies - who will be to blame for the next 8 goal qtr? We. Are. A. Bad. Team. Our best players are kids. We don’t have enough proven talent. Deal with it.

One good game doesn’t make a lock

I said when we got Jack Steele that he would turn a 10 goal loss into an 8 goal loss… He was great.

Good note

He is a mid-fwd that will be targeted by Darcy to be cut in half. Petty did great.

I would only have first ballot NFL Hall of Famers as Dees fans tbh That’s a niche joke but a good niche joke

Quiet, but we will tell James Hird… There’s no need to speculate with disgraced former Matty Whelan bump recipients; the first 6 weeks will tell the FD where it is at. 1-0 heading into Freo (A), Carl, GC, Ess (N), Rich Be 4-2 or better and talk to random so-so commentators about quiet confidence

Emblem? Logo? Emblem Logo

It’s round one… he is months away.

Even before Rd 1 - many of us were trying to explain that if we don’t keep up high intensity in our ability to run off the HB with the ball in hand - and we get timid and inert - we are going to get flogged. 7 goals in 15 mins type stuff. The reason why it’s about what we do when we get the ball is because the best defence is an offence that can move the ball away from vulnerable areas quickly. So I think that fans already calling for Lever to be dropped and CJ to be shipped back to Dingley should temper their nonsense while this group gets used to playing like this regularly for 120 minutes.

If your post starts with “my hawks mate reckons” - the you log off, go outside and hit yourself upside your head. Honestly, what did YOU watch. Have your opinion based on some reality and don’t be lead around the living room by a hawk supporting “mate” holding your Richard III.

I remember that goal and 3 mins earlier JVR didn’t engage his opponent and he went over and spoiled Mihocek. I hope the vision is showed to JVR. It’s the only thing holding him back now, he is injury free, fit, and in a game style that suits him. He now has to be a part of a forward structure that works for each other.

Absolutely. But if the ‘sense’ is keeping the opposition to 65 points - our gameplan of bombing to the pockets is true to that. I just meant ‘the handball over the shoulder to get someone into space’ was nonsense at times but players must love it.

It was too loud for my 5 year old from Canberra. That’s fine. But can they play people’s songs right after their goal? They have a short bell or explosion before the song and it takes the sting out of the… sting. Imagine Latrelle kicking THAT goal straight into “oops I did it again”… SCENES

He looks very fit and uses that as a weapon to exploit the space in front of him. Two things have helped him; the game style is quick and allows for JVR to take out in front without the need to engage his opposition. The second thing is Mihocek; he has come in and moves into the right spots and agitates defenders and engages them to allow for JVR to have space to follow into and/or to avoid having to have players peel off into the contest. The next step for JVR is to build his awareness of when HE should engage his opponent to return the favour as that will be when we have a dangerous and effective forward line with talls that work for each other and are hard to close down.

Very good win and I really appreciate the game style. It’s hectic and at times nonsensical but it’s the way footy is going off the backline. The recruits were all great; CJ off the half back was enterprising, Steele was so solid in the middle, and Mihocek is a professional forward that has created a structure for the others to succeed in. Specifically on Mihocek; he engages his direct opponent and moves to spots that chafe and agitate the defenders to allow for JVR to lead into spots. I can’t help but wonder where we would have been with a player like this once BBB went down…