Clayton Oliver is “frustrated” amid a tough season for the struggling Demons star, according to Fox Footy pundits, including getting clamped by a Kangaroos youngster in Saturday night’s clash.
After a heavily disrupted pre-season, Oliver is in the midst of his worst campaign statistically since his first year — currently averaging 24.1 disposal and 4.1 tackles per game.
It crucially comes one season into a lucrative seven-year deal, with Oliver struggling to recapture his previous best heights as a Brownlow Medal contender and All-Australian midfielder caliber of player.
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The 26-year old’s season hit a low point against the Kangaroos on Saturday night, with Will Phillips locking down on Oliver and holding him to a season-low 14 disposals.
“It was a tight tag and Phillips did a good job. If you had to say who won the battle, you’d say he (Phillips) won the battle,” Demons coach Simon Goodwin said post-match.
“He shut Clayton out of the game for the majority of the night. Clayton keeps working through it and he’ll continue to work through it.”
It wasn’t the only intriguing by-play involving Oliver, who at one stage of the MCG game got into a scuffle with another Kangaroos youngster that’s been likened to him in George Wardlaw.
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Fox Footy pundits suggested the showdown between the 20-year old Wardlaw, who continued his strong form with 23 disposals, 15 contested, and eight tackles, and Oliver was like the Demons midfielder looking back at a past version of himself.
“Clayton Oliver is frustrated right now. He had a good battle with George Wardlaw. The new junkyard dog down at Arden Street loves getting in the grill,” former Hawks sharpshooter Ben Dixon said on The First Crack.
“This is Clayton Oliver looking at himself a year or two ago.”
Dual All-Australian Leigh Montagna added: “It was a moment where it was almost like Clayton Oliver looking at his former self saying: ‘That’s what I used to do. I used to go and hunt the footy and get after the opposition and want it more than any other player on the field’.”
Montagna also pointed that the “not in form” Oliver now becomes an “easy choice” for opposition teams to tag with Christian Petracca sidelined.
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“I think he’s frustrated he can’t do what he wants to do physically and mentally. He gave away five free kicks (against North),” Montagna said.
Oliver will look to bounce back against Brisbane this Friday night at the Gabba where Melbourne will fight to keep its season alive, currently sitting in ninth place and half a game ahead of the Lions.
He might get more attention though with Jarrod Berry being deployed as a tagger in recent weeks with the negating role very much back in vogue across the competition.
AFL legend Leigh Matthews thinks Oliver’s struggles could be put down to his lack of pre-season limiting his ability to hit peak physical condition.
“He looks like he’s lost his power and his speed. Maybe the soft summer where he had a very limited preparation (has meant) he’s physically flattened off,” Matthews said on Channel 9’s Footy Furnace.
“I’m sure the conditioning staff at Melbourne are trying to work out exactly what is it to get the best out of him in his football athleticism, then his football abilities will come to the fore.”