‘Wasn’t professional enough’: Demons rift emerges in Clayton Oliver trade bombshell

More details are emerging about a potential bombshell AFL trade, amid reports of a “disconnect” between the Demons and their star player.

Melbourne are open to trading gun midfielder Clayton Oliver. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

More details are emerging about a potential shock trade that could see gun midfielder Clayton Oliver leave the Melbourne Demons.

The AFL’s post-season trade period was stunned on Tuesday by the shock news that the Demons were open to exploring potential deals other clubs may have to lure Oliver.

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It’s taken the footy world by surprise, given Oliver is a four-time best-and-fairest winner at Melbourne, a premiership player, and signed a seven-year, $7 million contract with the Demons that hasn’t even started yet.

The Demons are reportedly keen to assemble enough draft picks to trade up to the No. 1 pick to snare Harley Reid, and making Oliver available could help them.

Melbourne legend Garry Lyon said he’s “horrified at the thought” the Demons would even consider trading Oliver.

Extremely durable in his career so far, the 26-year-old missed 10 games this season with a niggling hamstring injury and there are now reports of a “disconnect” between Oliver and the Demons.

“The disconnect fascinates me, it’s clearly been bubbling all year,” journalist Tom Morris said on AFL Trade Radio.

Clayton Oliver struggled with injury this season. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“It’s the first year he’s had to deal with an significant injury, which takes maturity and is hard to deal with, and he felt the club mishandled it.

“The club felt he wasn’t professional enough with his rehab. The truth is probably somewhere in between depending on who you speak to, but that disconnect is real and that was has lead to the conversation being where it is at the moment.”

Morris added list managers at other clubs are already talking to senior players about how Oliver would fit in their teams.

“The other element here, is that senior players at rival clubs were informed by their list managers at those clubs a few days about Clayton Oliver’s situation,” Morris said.

“These list managers have been aware of the Oliver situation for a few days, and they have already gone to the players and said ‘What do you think? Can we fit Clayton Oliver in? Would you meet with him? Do you think he fits our team and culture?’”

“The fact that senior players already know about this, when I thought it was just list manager to list manager, tells me it is further down the road than what I may have thought even 12 hours ago.”

The Demons are open to trading Oliver. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

Essendon and Adelaide have been named as two clubs who are interested in acquiring Oliver, which would require a huge haul of top draft picks and a top player to get a deal done.

“I’m prepared to say now that Adelaide and Essendon are two clubs that have shown more than just a passing interest in Clayton Oliver,” Morris said.

“I use this term sparingly but the Bombers have a war chest. Essendon have lots of money to spend.”

Bombers midfielder Dylan Shiel has been mentioned as a player who could be moved to Melbourne to make a trade for Oliver work.

“There’s a world where Dylan Shiel and Clayton Oliver can be at Essendon. They’ve got the money for that,” Morris said.

Essendon are also interested in recruiting key defender Ben McKay and veteran ruckman Todd Goldstein from North Melbourne.