Off the scales: the dramatic rise of Clayton Oliver

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Melbourne star Clayton Oliver was challenged by Simon Goodwin before he was drafted to get fitter, then challenged at the end of last year to be more of a team player. | petryan Demons AFL

Clayton Oliver’s opponents know that the midfielder’s strength replicates that of a wood chopper.

His fitness, once questioned by anyone who saw him plying his trade at the Murray Bushrangers, now allows him to radiate energy as he moves from stoppage to stoppage, ready to gyrate his hips into the moving ball’s path. He acknowledges that an observation McCartney made about Oliver seeming at peace when he plays is on the money.

His diet wasn’t elite either, having told a Richmond coach he’d had coffee and McNuggets on the drive from Shepparton to Punt Road to play as a top-up in their VFL team.It wasn’t unusual for him to be up after midnight watching a movie, consuming energy he needed to train or play. “‘Goody’ said: ‘We are going to bring scales down to the draft combine and you can jump on them. If you are under 85 kilograms, we’ll pretty much draft you.’ I managed to get under 85. I was stressed about it for about six weeks.”

Oliver also put runs on the board with a brilliant second half of the season in the TAC Cup, winning the Morrish Medal after polling just one vote in the first nine rounds.So good were his highlights that Paul Roos declared him the one to pick as soon as he saw Oliver’s vision. The premiership coach joked that if anyone in the draft was better than Oliver, then he’d happily draft him too.

His defensive intent and impulse to dispose of the ball quickly infuriated internal and external watchers. He kept building his strength, swimming kilometre after kilometre until operations on each shoulder stifled him, and worked on his touch and his craft, but a component was missing. “You can make decisions based on team chemistry and how many years you have been playing together and you just know what they are going to do,” Oliver said.

 

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agerealfooty petryan The improvement this year has been astronomical. When they talk about players just concerned with getting touches, you knew it was Clarry, but it seems to have sunk in that it's a team sport.

petryan He’s been a gun since his first game.. others around him have just lifted

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