Demons coach Simon Goodwin addresses the futures of Clayton Oliver, Kysaiah Pickett

After a year marred by injuries and trade talks, Simon Goodwin says we may not see the best of Clayton Oliver early in 2025, which may have sparked a midfield move for a premiership hero.

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin says superstar onballer Clayton Oliver will need time to hit his peak this season after a year marred by injury and “uncomfortable” trade discussions.

The Demons have spoken privately with Oliver and admitted he should not have been floated in any trade scenarios with rival clubs last year without telling him first.

Oliver, 27, was blindsided when he discovered in the media the Demons had raised his name with Adelaide, prompting the gun midfielder to have his own talks with Geelong last year.

The messy saga continued a difficult year for the Demons, but Goodwin said the club had worked hard with Oliver to wipe the slate clean and prime him physically to help rediscover his best.

It comes as the 2021 premiers prepare to inject wingman Ed Langdon into the onball mix in one of the biggest surprise positional shifts of the summer.

The Herald Sun can reveal Langdon, 29, has impressed in his onball trial over summer and is set to add extra running power and balance in the engine room alongside playmaker Trent Rivers, 23.

Goodwin said Langdon’s onball move had been a “gold nugget” this pre-season, but moved to ease expectations on Oliver early this season after hand and hamstring problems last year.

Goodwin said he shared “an incredibly close relationship” with the brilliant ballwinner and was adamant Oliver was all-in on helping drive the Demons forward after a tough end to last year.

“It was certainly uncomfortable how things played out publicly last year, but Clayton is really aware of how much I love him and how proud I am of the journey he has been on,” Goodwin told the Herald Sun.

Oliver has endured two difficult seasons. Picture: Ian Currie

“And just how much the whole club loves him and how much we want him to be part of the footy club.

“I have known him for 10 years and we have ridden the ups and downs and it has been a hell of a journey.

“But right now we are writing a new path and from all of the conversations I have had with him he is as engaged as anyone. He loves his teammates, and he wants to be part of something (special) again.

“He holds the pen for the new chapter as we all do.”

At his best, the four-time best-and-fairest winner and 2021 AFL Coaches Association player of the year is one of most dynamic clearance-winners in the game.

But Goodwin said fans should not expect Oliver to be at full power straight away as he continues to build fitness and touch after a challenging 12 months.

He played 21 games last season but did not finish inside the top-10 of the best and fairest, indicating how much ground he has to make up after some personal issues, in part, wiped out last pre-season.

Goodwin says Oliver may not be firing early in 2025. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

“He has missed a lot of footy and a lot of training and this is what this whole pre-season has been about, connecting him back to the game, and getting him ultimately back to his best,” he said.

“I think that will take some time, so we need to temper our expectations a little bit in terms of where he will be initially.

“There are some challenges, but there are also a lot of opportunities.

“We are confident if we keep working with him he will get to where he wants to get to and as part of that it is about being a great teammate.”

DEES WON’T ENTERTAIN PICKETT MOVE

Melbourne says it has no plans to entertain trade talks about superstar Kysaiah Pickett amid the most impressive pre-season of his career.

The brilliant goal kicker looks ready to become one of the game’s most impactful players but will have to wait until round four to return from suspension.

Fremantle is heavily targeting the 23-year-old despite a contract tying Pickett to the Demons until the end of 2027.

Goodwin said Pickett, who will make his return under lights against Geelong on a Friday night in Round 4 at GMHBA Stadium, had shone all summer.

Pickett’s future is under a cloud. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

“He is training at a level I have never seen before,” Goodwin said.

“He is going as well as anyone at the footy club and it has just shown everyone how engaged he is. He is as engaged as I have ever seen.

“So, we love having him at the footy club. He loves the people here and that is really clear, and we want him to play for Melbourne for life.

“The reality with the player movement market is players will be spoken about and he is one of those and so he should be.

“He is a jet.

“We understand the narrative will continue but we won’t live in that space because he has signed a contract until the end of 2027.”

The Herald Sun last week reported Pickett had sent text messages to friends at the Dockers telling them he wants to play for them next season.

Goodwin was unaware of any text messages and said he could only judge Pickett on what he had shown at the club and on the training track this summer.

The forward will not play until round 4. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

It has included renewed focus on his tackle technique after three suspensions for head-high contact over the past two seasons.

The Demons have enlisted Jack Viney’s brother, Max, who is a martial arts specialist, to help the players with their technique this year.

Goodwin said the dynamic playmaker looked ready to show his full potential in the forward half this season after 106 matches across five seasons.

“He has been brilliant and we really look forward to having him back out there because I think our fans are really going to enjoy watching him play in the red and blue,” he said.

Originally published as Demons coach Simon Goodwin addresses the futures of Clayton Oliver, Kysaiah Pickett