By Jake Niall
Geelong would only pay the full amount, or near the full amount, of Clayton Oliver’s massive six-year, nearly $8 million contract with Melbourne if the draft cost in a trade was heavily discounted.
The alternative, according to a well-placed Geelong source, is that the Cats would give up more in the draft on the proviso that the Demons stumped up some of his contract, which averages close to $1.3 million a year over six more seasons.
Demons star Clayton Oliver is a man in demand.Credit: Getty Images
While the Cats have met with Oliver and are considering pursuing a trade for the decorated midfielder, they are taking the position that a trade would only be feasible if one of those objectives – paying the full contract for a lower draft cost, or the reverse – is met, according to a club source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The only other possibility that could assist a trade would be that Oliver takes a pay cut to join the Cats.
Geelong’s position on the trade – an “either money or draft” cost equation – is no surprise, given the scale of the contract, Oliver’s issues over last summer, and his relatively poor performances in 2024 for a player of his ability.
Melbourne’s public position – as put on record by coach Simon Goodwin – is that he will be retained by the Demons for 2025, and this stance has not changed, despite rival clubs being sounded out about whether they are interested in Oliver.
Oliver has indicated he is interested in joining the Cats after meeting with senior players and club leaders at the rustic property of ruckman Rhys Stanley this week, as reported by this masthead.
The Cats – even as they explore the feasibility of a trade and have established themselves as the preferred destination for Oliver if he leaves – are mindful of the reality that the midfielder, a four-time best and fairest, can only be recruited if the Demons are willing to strike a deal and that Melbourne can take the same position they ultimately did over Christian Petracca in holding him, despite his interest in a move.
Geelong’s position on a trade is further complicated by their pursuit of Bulldog midfielder Bailey Smith, who, unlike Oliver, is out of contract. Any Smith trade is near certain to involve Geelong’s first draft pick this year (No.16) as a starting point. Like Oliver, Smith is managed by the Connors Sports stable.
If Oliver was to join the Cats on his current contract, without the Demons contributing financially, he would be easily the highest-paid player at Geelong, ahead of Jeremy Cameron, who signed a six-year multimillion-dollar contract at the end of 2020 when he left the Giants. The Cats have rarely overpaid for even the top-end players they have had, with Patrick Dangerfield joining them in 2015 on a deal that was then worth less than $1 million per season (six years), but with increases in the salary cap (total player payments) built into the contract.
The Cats will be thorough in assessing the issues surrounding Oliver, who had a turbulent off-season after 2023, spent time away from the club and had a restricted pre-season training regime.
Under Chris Scott, Geelong have been willing to take on players with significant off-field issues, including Tyson Stengle.
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