AFL 2024: Glenn McFarlane’s analysis from Melbourne’s win over North Melbourne

The Demons may have gotten over the line in a thriller against the Kangaroos, but they’ve got a huge issue on their hands with one of their biggest stars. GLENN MCFARLANE has the analysis.

Glenn McFarlane

@MaccaHeraldSun

5 min read

June 22, 2024 - 11:34PM

News Sport Network

Clayton Oliver of the Demons and George Wardlaw of the Kangaroos wrestle during the round 15 AFL match between Melbourne Demons and North Melbourne Kangaroos at Melbourne Cricket Ground, on June 22, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

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How do you solve the problem of Clayton Oliver in-season?

Of all the issues Simon Goodwin and Melbourne face - and there are plenty of them as they learn to live without Christian Petracca for the remainder of 2024 - this might be as challenging as any of the others to unravel.

Oliver is horribly out of form.

That’s hardly footy’s hottest secret, as it has been evident for months that he has been struggling to perform off virtually no preseason.

But on a night when Goodwin was desperately trying to funnel fresh faces through the engine room including Trent Rivers, Kozzie Pickett and Tom Sparrow, too often Oliver let his frustrations get in the way of the Demons’ fortunes.

It almost cost them, and Goodwin knew it.

Clayton Oliver is down on form. Picture: Getty Images

As a fast-finishing North Melbourne clawed its way back from a 39-point deficit to draw within three points with just over three minutes to run, Oliver was called to the interchange bench.

He sat helplessly, watching the last 200 seconds of this game from the boundary line, before pacing around, almost desperate to get back on.

It said what we all knew.

The Demons’ faith in their superstar mid is a little shaky right now, which is a concern as the club prepares for a road trip to the Gabba in a crucial match against the Brisbane Lions on Friday night.

Melbourne didn’t score in the last term; North Melbourne stormed home with 5.0, and almost pinched the game.

The Demons are now 8-6 on the ladder (which is still healthy), but they didn’t resemble a team ready to launch a second half of the season assault on the finals - let alone the flag.

They desperately need Oliver, if not back to his best, as that won’t be easy from a conditioning point of view, then at least playing a selfless role for his teammates.

He didn’t handle the tag from Will Phillips.

He shouldn’t have been surprised the shadow was coming for him, given the Kangaroos mid spent most of last week trying to stop Nick Daicos.

But his frustrations got to him on too many occasions.

Will Phillips had Oliver’s measure on the night. Picture: Michael Klein

Oliver had two disposals - both handballs - in the first term, giving up what could have been a crucial 50m penalty that almost resulted in a goal.

One of his three disposals in the second term was a free kick, which left him with only five disposals in the first half to Phillips’ four.

Then in the third term he infringed on Phillips when he didn’t need to, as Christian Salem was about to bring the ball back in Melbourne’s attack. It hurt his team.

Oliver finished with 14 disposals; Phillips had 12, and the Kangaroo clearly won the duel.

Fourteen was Oliver’s equal-second lowest possession tally from his 176 career games, with 11 being his lowest in his debut season of 2016.

On what we have seen across his hugely decorated AFL career to date, Oliver was a contested beast in the middle who never needed any extra bows in his quiver.

But he could do with a few more tricks now.

We know why Clarry is struggling. He barely had a preseason as he fought his own personal issues.

Can he get back to his exalted levels that had him in the conversation as one of the great Demons, a modern marvel with four best-and-fairest wins? Let’s hope so.

But that looks like a forlorn hope this year, given his fitness base and his struggles.

He is only one year into a seven-season $1 million-dollar per annum contract and the Dees desperately need to work on him for the long term. He can get back to his best, but it will require plenty of work and a lot more patience.

Let’s hope he gets there as footy needs Clarry and Clarry needs footy.

But it’s not working at the moment, and the coach desperately needs to find a solution sooner rather than later.

Jacob van Rooyen celebrates a goal. Picture: Getty Images

DEES BREAK ROO HEARTS AGAIN

- Ed Bourke

Melbourne narrowly dodged a significant dent to its finals hopes after North Melbourne stormed home only to again be denied with the ball in its forward line in the final minute.

The Kangaroos looked dead and buried at three-quarter time before piling on five unanswered goals in the final term, including a stirring mark and finish from Harry Sheezel.

Cam Zurhaar and Eddie Ford led the surge with two goals each, with Zurhaar pouncing on a ground ball to snap his fourth goal and cut the margin to three points with just under four minutes left.

A desperate run-down tackle by debutant Kynan Brown on Nick Larkey as the Roos forward streamed down the wing towards their forward line bought Melbourne a crucial minute in possession, but the Demons still rode their luck in the final minute as the bottom side launched one last desperate offensive off halfback.

North Melbourne pumped the ball inside 50 with 10 seconds left but the ball burst through the hands of Luke Davies-Uniacke, who had been colossal with nine disposals and four clearances in the final term.

Melbourne had looked in control at the final break as Jack Viney (12 clearances) dominated the stoppages, while Trent Rivers stepped in impressively in Christian Petracca’s absence after receiving a rare opportunity at centre bounces.

Rivers hardly wasted a kick and pushed forward for a classy goal on the run before halftime.

The Roos defended fiercely all match and tensions boiled over at the end of the second term, with an all-in melee taking more than a minute to be broken up.

Could Steven May cop some MRO heat? Picture: Getty Images

MAY FLOP TO TEST AFL

Steven May will face MRO scrutiny for an incident midway through the third term when he went limp in an Eddie Ford tackle and grabbed at the back of his head after hitting the ground, even though his head did not appear to make initial contact with the grass.

The Melbourne defender was given a free kick for high contact, and would appear set to become the first AFL player fined for staging since Gold Coast’s Ben Ainsworth in July last year. Will the league finally enforce its rule?

PRODIGAL SON’S STATEMENT

Despite the famous name, Jackson Archer probably wasn’t high in the minds of Roos supporters earlier this season when it came to the most exciting cogs in their future side.

But the late father-son draft pick is shaping to be a crucial part of the North Melbourne backline and played the best of his 14 games as he completely shut out Bayley Fritsch on Saturday night.

In his third season, Archer is starting to fill his 187cm frame and monstered Fritsch in the air, taking two impressive intercept marks above his head in the first half.