By Sam McClure
Clayton Oliver left the idyllic farmland property belonging to Geelong premiership ruckman Rhys Stanley on Tuesday wanting to play for the Cats in 2025.
The 27-year-old Melbourne midfielder has not told the Demons that he would like to be traded, but, according to two sources close to him, he came away from two separate meetings – one with Geelong chief executive Steve Hocking, and the other with Stanley and vice-captain Tom Stewart – feeling positive about the prospect of playing in the blue-and-white hoops next season.
Demons star Clayton Oliver is a man in demand.Credit: Getty Images
The sources, speaking anonymously because the meetings were private, said Oliver was sold a star-studded midfield dream (which could also include Bulldog Bailey Smith after he requested a trade to the Cats) during the farm visit.
But that does not mean he will get to the Cats. Any potential trade remains a long way off, with Melbourne continuing to distance themselves from any potential deal for the four-time best and fairest winner.
Rhys Stanley at work on his farm in Geelong.Credit: Instagram
Geelong officials did not answer calls on Wednesday, and Oliver’s management declined to comment.
The 27-year-old is contracted to the Demons until the end of the 2030 season.
This masthead reported on Monday that Oliver had felt increasingly unwanted at the Demons this season, and on Tuesday broke the news of his meeting with the Cats.
He met first with Hocking before travelling to Stanley’s farm, where several Cats teammates have been helping with landscaping work this week, to meet with him and Stewart.
A source close to Oliver, and a Geelong source – who both wanted to remain anonymous to speak freely – confirmed that Stanley’s farm was used as a location in an attempt to keep the meeting private.
The ruckman, who was part of the Cats team that fell just short of a grand final appearance with a heart-breaking preliminary final loss to Brisbane, recently purchased a property in Moriac, south-west of Geelong.
Oliver, Stanley and Stewart discussed the prospect of a Geelong midfield in 2025 being made up of Smith – who is expected to join on a six-year deal after falling out of love with the Bulldogs – Max Holmes, Jack Bowes, Tanner Bruhn, Patrick Dangerfield and Oliver.
Two sources close to Oliver said the 27-year-old left Geelong excited about the prospect of wearing the blue and white hoops in 2025, but that he accepted a trade may be complicated.
It’s the second year in a row that Oliver has been a headline figure leading into AFL trade period. This time last year, rival clubs thought he was on the market until the Demons shut down the trade talk.
At the end of October, the Demons put Oliver on notice about his behaviour, calling on him to make “disciplined life decisions” while the club supported him with personal off-field challenges.
While his 2024 season was affected by a limited pre-season and injury, people close to Oliver have said he is in a much better place off the field than he was this time last year.
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.