Clayton Oliver, one of the AFL’s best young stars in coffee club colors. His consistently dynamic play on the field this season has now led to trade rumors swirling around his name. Oliver, who has five years left on his contract, reportedly worth close to $7 million, recently interviewed with delegations from the Greater Western Sydney (GWS) Giants. They went on to have a more relaxed discussion while passing the pigskin back and forth on the Giants’ playing field. On the flip side, his performance this year has been nothing short of spectacular. He ended up as the No. 1 tackler in the competition and among the top 10 of Sydney’s best players.
Statistically, Oliver was truly impressive but beyond the numbers, Oliver stepped in as interim captain and leadership group member whilst Callum Mills was injured. This experience helped to deepen his leadership skills and role within the team.
Melbourne would be happy to make the trade. Negotiation reports indicate that the club is even prepared to pay down more than half of Oliver’s contract to ensure they can move him along quickly. This unprecedented scenario puts City’s Oliver in a special position as he considers his options while being chased by several other clubs.
Oliver’s subsequent comments have only stoked the flames of speculation about his future. When reflecting on other teams, he stated,
“What do I like about them (Collingwood)? I like them better than Melbourne, that’s for sure.”
If true, this is particularly poignant considering his intent to still be with the Demons despite persistent rumors to the contrary.
Charlie Curnow’s playing future at Carlton is even more clouded. The forward’s window to depart the club is rapidly expiring. With asphalt and subdivision on every side, moving the plant is a real challenge. Sydney are said to be ahead of Geelong, though, in the race for Curnow. As the clock runs out, what remains in doubt is whether any meaningful action will occur.
These are alarming rumors and here to help us make sense of them is Chris Keane, Sydney’s new list boss. Regarding James Rowbottom, he stated,
“We have had no indication about James Rowbottom wanting to leave. Contracted for three more years, we expect him to be here for that period.”
Keane was adamant that Will Hayward is on a guaranteed deal for four years. He laughed off any rumors that they might trade away a top pick.
At the moment, Harry Schoenberg’s future seems anything but certain. His season saw him recently get axed from the Adelaide Crows as he only played once this season at the AFL level. Selected at 24 in the 2019 draft, Schoenberg has played 62 games of AFL footy. West Coast might be about to provide him with a surprise lifeline just weeks after he was delisted.
Kane Cornes on Schoenberg’s situation Cornes said he was disappointed by the way things ended for him at Adelaide. He remarked,
“He’s out … he’s had a crack at his former club. It’s almost sad that it’s ended this way considering his record at that footy club.”
Cornes called out against the apparent list boss of Melbourne, Tim Lamb to that speculation around Oliver, claiming it’s
“absolute rubbish” regarding how the situation is being handled.
Kysaiah Pickett has signed a lucrative new deal to stay with the Demons long term. He’ll now remain with the Demons until the end of 2034! This commitment speaks to Melbourne’s desire to lock away important talent as they deal with the challenges of a looming trade period.
With the trade deadline in Chicago rapidly approaching and their contracts up for grabs, Oliver and Curnow head into a defining point in their young careers. How Oliver proceeds now will determine which direction his future goes in. They’ll set the tone for competition amongst clubs in Melbourne and across the AFL motivating to improve their lists.
