Geelong joins possible suitors for Clayton Oliver should he look to leave Melbourne

Dees superstar Clayton Oliver was almost out of Melbourne in 2023, with Adelaide at the front of the line for his services. Now, a Victorian club has put the Demon on their list of targets.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 15: Clayton Oliver of the Demons is dejected after the Demons were defeated by the Blues during the AFL First Semi Final match between Melbourne Demons and Carlton Blues at Melbourne Cricket Ground, on September 15, 2023, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Geelong is among the clubs keeping close tabs on Melbourne superstar Clayton Oliver in case the brilliant midfielder seeks a fresh start at season’s end.

The Cats are keen to add to their top-line midfield stocks in the exchange period and have already been strongly linked to Western Bulldogs linebreaker Bailey Smith.

But Oliver, 26, is also on the Cats’ radar in the event he becomes available despite a $1 million a year contract with six more years to run at Melbourne after this season.

Chris Scott’s men are on the hunt for a new star onballer to help improve the midfield brigade and keep the club in premiership contention after missing the finals last season.

Patrick Dangerfield turns 34 next month, Cameron Guthrie, 31, has been hit by another injury, while youngsters Max Holmes, Tanner Bruhn and Jhye Clark are still developing.

The Cats are keeping tabs on Clayton Oliver. Picture: David Crosling

Oliver, a four-time best-and-fairest winner, is one of the best players in the competition and could yet receive inquiries from every club in the league if he seeks a trade this year.

Adelaide indicated its strong interest when his future was clouded last year, while St Kilda could also have the scope to make a strong play after missing out on Collingwood’s Jordan de Goey.

But the Cats could appeal due to their highly-respected club culture and scope to fit him in the salary cap with about 15 players out of contract at season’s end.

Bulldogs’ running machine Smith is also looming large for Geelong as he fights back from a knee reconstruction which is likely to wipe out his entire season.

The Bulldogs would demand a first-round draft pick in a trade for Smith while the Demons would ask for two early choices for Oliver depending on how his 2024 season plays out.

Clubs will closely monitor Oliver’s on-field performance but more importantly will ramp up the due diligence on some of his off-field challenges which saw the jet ball-winner take some time away from the club over summer.

Oliver left Melbourne’s pre-season camp in January due to some personal issues, while he was hospitalised in December following a medical episode.

Geelong was unafraid to pick up discarded small forward Tyson Stengle despite some off-field hiccups and has leant on its highly-respected club culture and senior playing figures to help get the best from players who need some guidance.

Football boss Andrew Mackie told this masthead after its 2022 premiership the club was unafraid to take some recruiting risks.

“What’s the point of being conservative and safe?” Mackie said.

“We could do that. But we are really open and OK to explore outside the norm.

“We have had to. If we see something like, we aren’t afraid to pull the trigger.”

Oliver endured a tumultuous off-season. (Photo by Matt King/AFL Photos/Getty Images)

Melbourne has said it wants to keep Oliver but have made clear he must uphold the club’s behavioural standards after a heart-to-heart conversation with coach Simon Goodwin in last year’s trade period.

Those talks continued last week in the lead-in to the club’s Opening Round loss to Sydney Swans when captain Max Gawn said Oliver was desperate to win back the trust of his Melbourne teammates.

The Demons have committed considerable resources to helping support Oliver through some personal issues over the first eight years of his career which saw him power the club to the 2021 premiership.

Oliver gathered an equal team-high 30 disposals in the Demons’ Opening Round loss to Sydney. Goodwin said he was not as clean as usual after a short preparation for the first game of the season.

“He probably fumbled the ball a little bit at times but he will evolve and get better,” Goodwin said.

“He has done everything right the past six to eight weeks. We are happy he is in a great space.”

Originally published as Geelong joins possible suitors for Clayton Oliver should he look to leave Melbourne