Interim Demons president Brad Inexperienced has declared Clayton Oliver is not going wherever amid heavy hypothesis he is closing in on a commerce to Geelong.
After per week of hypothesis surrounding Oliver’s future, Inexperienced used his speech on the membership’s end-of-season dinner on Friday night time to place the rumours to mattress.
“I do know come spherical one subsequent 12 months, once I see the primary ball bounced, and our midfield of [Max] Gawn, [Jack] Viney, [Clayton] Oliver and [Christian] Petracca, our first clearance, that you just Melbourne trustworthy can be there in full drive,” he mentioned.
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The point out of Oliver and Petracca, which got here amid a wider spiel in regards to the membership and supporters to stay united after a tumultuous season, drew cheers and a spherical of applause.
Clayton Oliver (proper) and Christian Petracca of the Demons. AFL Photographs by way of Getty Pictures
Studies all through the week recommended the troubled midfielder was all however out the exit door and talks with Geelong would doubtless warmth up throughout the commerce interval subsequent week.
Petracca, too, was reportedly strongly contemplating leaving after his household grew to become infuriated at how the membership dealt with his critical accidents earlier this season. Finally the Demons satisfied him to remain put.
On Friday, journalist Sam Edmund advised AFL Commerce Radio he believes the Demons will stymie Oliver’s transfer, regardless of widespread perception the membership was eager to dump the 27-year-old.
“I feel there’s an actual likelihood that at one of the best and fairest tonight, Melbourne are going to rise up and shut this down utterly,” Edmund mentioned.
Kane Cornes responded “it’s a full dumpster hearth at Melbourne proper now”.
Skipper Max Gawn ripped the “regarding” leaks about Oliver’s future, which appeared to have come from inside the membership.
Whereas Gawn claims to haven’t any inside information of the conversations, it’s the truth data retains discovering its technique to media that has him fuming.
Melbourne captain Max Gawn. Getty
“I do not sit in record administration, and I do not wish to sit in record administration,” Gawn advised Triple M Breakfast with Rosie, Wil & Daisy.
“So, I can share my opinion – which I am not going to share now – and actually I am getting a little bit bit aggravated about what number of of our opinions are getting out, so that’s fairly regarding and one thing we might want to tackle.”
Oliver was on the verge of being traded throughout final 12 months’s post-season interval however in the end stayed on the Demons, the place he has six years remaining on a profitable long-term contract.
He’s being paid about $1.3 million per season. The Demons would doubtless should pay a few of that even when he went to a rival membership.
On Thursday Cornes labelled it the worst contract within the historical past of the AFL.
Oliver received the 2021 premiership with Melbourne and is a three-time All-Australian, however has been stricken by accidents and off-field incidents over the previous 12 months.
He missed many of the 2024 pre-season after a tumultuous few months and teammates had been left questioning when he can be obtainable to play once more.
The Demons themselves have been below intense scrutiny given how badly the membership appears to have declined since that 2021 triumph.
The commerce interval formally opens on Monday.
