Clayton Oliver

Clayton Oliver
Personal information
Full name Clayton Oliver
Date of birth (1997-07-22) 22 July 1997
Original team(s) Murray Bushrangers (TAC Cup)
Draft No. 4, 2015 national draft
Debut Round 1, 2016, Melbourne
v. Greater Western Sydney, at MCG
Height/Weight 187 cm / 86 kg
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current club Melbourne
Number 13
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2016– Melbourne 4 (3)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 4, 2016 season.
Career highlights

Clayton Oliver (born 22 July 1997) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Early life

Oliver played for the Mooroopna Football Club senior side in the Goulburn Valley Football League in 2014[1] and was awarded the Rising Star in the league,[2] in the same season, he struggled to play in the Bendigo Pioneers side playing only three matches.[3] He moved to Mooroopna from Echuca in 2015 to be closer to his school, Goulburn Valley Grammar School in Shepparton for year 12,[3] he was then encouraged to join the Murray Bushrangers for the 2015 TAC Cup season.[4] He missed out on selection for the 2015 AFL Under 18 Championships for Victoria Country after suffering from osteitis pubis,[5] and after a slow start to the TAC Cup season, it was predicted he would be unlikely to be drafted in the 2015 AFL draft.[6] His initial plans were to study radiography at university from 2016 and then earn his AFL draft chance through the Victorian Football League (VFL).[3]

In July, he was selected to play for the Richmond Football Club's VFL side,[7] and after playing two matches for them, his TAC Cup form drastically improved.[6] He was adjudged the best and fairest player in the TAC Cup by winning the Morrish Medal, where he received 14 votes in the final nine rounds, and finished with 15 in total, one vote ahead of Eastern Ranges forward, Darcy Crocker and Northern Knights midfielder, Jade Gresham,[8] in addition, he was named on the interchange in the TAC Cup team of the year.[9] He also won the John Byrne Medal as the Murray Bushrangers best and fairest player, finishing eight votes ahead of Murray Waite.[10] After winning the Morrish Medal and John Byrne Medal, he was predicted to be drafted inside the top-25 of the draft.[1][11]

Oliver was invited to the national draft combine,[12] where he performed well in the agility test, 20-metre time trial, and three kilometre time trial, which elevated his draft chances to inside the top-10.[5] In the weeks leading to the draft, he was labelled as the "draft bolter"[13][14][15][16] and after the Melbourne Football Club showed strong interest in him,[6] he was predicted to be drafted inside the top-5 in the days leading to the draft.[17][18][19]

AFL career

After the Melbourne Football Club unsuccessfully bid pick 3 in the 2015 national draft on Callum Mills, Oliver was recruited by them with their first selection and fourth overall.[20] He was predicted by Fox Footy as one of the draftees who would have an immediate impact in the 2016 season,[21] and after playing well in the 2016 NAB Challenge,[22][23] he made his debut in the round 1 win against Greater Western Sydney at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.[24] He was highly praised during his debut match[25][26][27] where he recorded 22 disposals, with 15 of them contested, and seven clearances from 58% game-time.[28] At the end of the first half, he had 17 disposals and led the contested possession and clearance count with 11 and 5 respectively, his first half was described by 1988 Brownlow Medallist, Gerard Healy, as "one of the best debut halves I’ve seen", Scott Lucas also labelled him as the "real deal".[29] Furthermore, his debut match was rewarded with the round nomination for the Rising Star.[30]

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of round 4, 2016[31]
Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles
Season Team # Games G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
Totals Averages (per game)
2016 Melbourne 13 4 3 0 19 54 73 7 16 0.8 0.0 4.8 13.5 18.3 1.8 4.0
Career 4 3 0 19 54 73 7 16 0.8 0.0 4.8 13.5 18.3 1.8 4.0

References

  1. 1 2 Twomey, Callum (9 October 2015). "Oliver keen for more after Morrish Medal success". AFL.com.au (Bigpond). Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  2. ↑ "2015 AFL draft: combine harvester: Small and medium forwards". The Age (Fairfax Media). 8 October 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Cahill, Georgina (20 November 2015). "Murray Bushranger Clayton Oliver wanted to be a radiographer at the start of this year. His plans soon changed when AFL clubs started calling". Shepparton News. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  4. ↑ Twomey, Callum (9 November 2015). "15 days to the draft: Meet Morrish medallist and elite user Clayton Oliver". AFL.com.au (Bigpond). Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  5. 1 2 Twomey, Callum (31 October 2015). "Morrish medallist Clayton Oliver adds top-10 twist". AFL.com.au (Bigpond). Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 Baldwin, Adam (25 November 2015). "AFL draft 2015: Melbourne considers Clayton Oliver with first pick, plays like Ollie Wines". Fox Sports (Australia) (News Corp Australia). Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  7. ↑ Young, Chris (21 July 2015). "Young state league stars". The Border Mail (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  8. ↑ Twomey, Callum (13 September 2015). "Draft bolter Clayton Oliver clinches Morrish Medal". AFL.com.au (Bigpond). Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  9. ↑ "TAC Cup Team of the Year". TACCup.com.au (Fox Sports Pulse). 14 September 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  10. ↑ "Clayton Oliver wins John Byrne Medal". MurrayBushrangers.com.au (Fox Sports Pulse). 19 October 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  11. ↑ Young, Chris (18 October 2015). "Oliver wins Bushies B&F". The Border Mail (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  12. ↑ Young, Chris (5 August 2015). "Murray Bushrangers invited to 2015 AFL combine". The Border Mail (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  13. ↑ Landsberger, Sam (21 November 2015). "AFL draft 2015: Sam Landsberger’s final word on the first 30 selections". Herald Sun (News Corp Australia). Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  14. ↑ Morris, Tom (24 November 2015). "Is winning the TAC Cup’s best and fairest award a poisoned chalice? Draft bolter Clayton Oliver hopes not". Fox Sports (Australia) (News Corp Australia). Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  15. ↑ Landsberger, Sam (24 November 2015). "AFL draft 2015: How Clayton Oliver became this year’s bolter after he was snubbed by Vic Country". Herald Sun (News Corp Australia). Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  16. ↑ Waterworth, Ben (25 November 2015). "AFL draft 2015: The bolters, sliders and shock picks". Fox Sports (Australia) (News Corp Australia). Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  17. ↑ Landsberger, Sam (24 November 2015). "AFL draft 2015: Sam Landsberger predicts how the top 30 will unfold". Herald Sun (News Corp Australia). Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  18. ↑ Quayle, Emma (22 November 2015). "Club-by-club guide to the AFL draft: part 2". The Age (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  19. ↑ Twomey, Callum (24 November 2015). "Callum Twomey's 2015 phantom draft". AFL.com.au (Bigpond). Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  20. ↑ Baldwin, Adam (25 November 2015). "AFL draft 2015: Melbourne drafts Clayton Oliver, Sam Weideman". Fox Sports (Australia) (News Corp Australia). Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  21. ↑ Olle, Sarah (8 January 2016). "Fox Footy previews six draftees set to have an immediate impact at their clubs in 2016". Fox Sports (Australia) (News Corp Australia). Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  22. ↑ Murnane, Matt (6 March 2016). "NAB Challenge 2016: Melbourne draftee Clayton Oliver ready for round one debut". The Age (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  23. ↑ Ralph, Jon (7 March 2016). "Clayton Oliver strengthens claim for Round 1 start in Melbourne’s win against Western Bulldogs". Herald Sun (News Corp Australia). Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  24. ↑ Harrington, Anna (24 March 2016). "Clayton Oliver to debut in round one". MelbourneFC.com.au (Bigpond). Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  25. ↑ Schmook, Nathan (26 March 2016). "Hogan leads late charge as Dees cut down Giants". AFL.com.au (Bigpond). Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  26. ↑ Pierik, Jon (26 March 2016). "Melbourne v Greater Western Sydney: Reborn Demons take a giant leap". The Age (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  27. ↑ McFarlane, Glenn (26 March 2016). "AFL 2016: Melbourne defeats GWS Giants by 2 points at the MCG in Round 1". Herald Sun (News Corp Australia). Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  28. ↑ Ryan, Peter (26 March 2016). "Five talking points: Melbourne v Greater Western Sydney". AFL.com.au (Bigpond). Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  29. ↑ Baldwin, Adam (26 March 2016). "Clayton Oliver debut puts young midfielder straight into Rising Star contention". Fox Sports (Australia) (News Corp Australia). Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  30. ↑ Di Giorgio, Giulio (28 March 2016). "Demon Oliver delivers on pre-season promise to earn Rising Star nod". AFL.com.au (Bigpond). Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  31. ↑ "Clayton Oliver". AFL Tables. Retrieved 26 March 2016.

External links

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