Clayton Oliver ‘open to a move’ as bitter truth revealed in Demons trade bombshell

The Melbourne Demons are reportedly going after Harley Reid in the AFL Draft but the club’s has been given a bitter reality check.

Clayton Oliver is reportedly “open to move” to the Crows. Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The Melbourne Demons have been warned to “be careful what you wish for” after the news of club’s potential bombshell move to trade Clayton Oliver.

It was revealed on Tuesday night that the Demons were “open” to moving on the star midfielder

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SEN’s Tom Morris reported the Demons want the right price in exchange for the star midfielder, adding the club would help the club in a bid to stockpile a “suite of draft picks” as they look to possibly move up the draft to the first overall spot.

The report also stressed that the Demons are not shopping Oliver yet but just “making it clear” to rival teams that they are open to the possibility.

Victorian prodigy Harley Reid is the red hot favourite to be the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Already several clubs have been linked to Oliver but former 149-gamer Josh Jenkins have voiced and undeniable truth which should give the Demons pause as they potentially look to trade away one of their biggest stars.

“We see this across all sports, we fall in love with the pick and what the next person can be. There is no guarantee,” Jenkins told AFL Trade Radio.

“There is a very good chance that Harley Reid is not as good as Clayton Oliver.

“We fall in love with ‘let’s just get pick 1 because we get Harley Reid, they can have Clayton Oliver’, well just be careful what you wish for with an unproven product.”

Harley Reid is the projected No. 1 pick. Photo by Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Morris also said other teams had been made aware of Oliver’s potential availability “for a few days”.

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.”

7 News Adelaide’s Theo Doropoulos also reported Oliver was open to a move to Adelaide. It would require the club’s pick 9, a future first rounder and Shane McAdam, while the Crows also have picks 21 and 24 available, as well as the compensation for Tom Doedee’s likely move to the Lions.

Star Demon Clayton Oliver is open to a move to the Crows.

Adelaide's interest is real, so if it evolves, its offer would need to start with pick 9, a future 1st, plus Shane McAdam.

The Crows also have picks 21 and 24, and Doedee compo.@7NewsAdelaide@7AFL

— Theo Doropoulos (@TheoDrop) October 4, 2023

Dylan Shiel has been mentioned as a potential mover from Essendon to St Kilda, which could potentially add a top 30 pick to the Bombers’ current picks 8 and 28 as well as a future first rounder.

Clayton Oliver is one of the AFL’s biggest names. Photo by Michael Klein.

But they may not be the only teams who will show interest.

Davis said the Cats should consider a play at Oliver.

“The one that I think makes a lot of sense is Geelong … they are in the market of trying to re-make their midfield,” he said on Trade Radio.

On SEN Mornings, Kane Cornes said Carlton could consider parting with former Coleman Medallist Harry McKay.

“Shipping out Harry McKay for Clayton Oliver would be definitely something that I would do if I was the Blues,” Cornes said.

“It solves a problem for Melbourne with their key forward stock.

“The Blues don’t really need Harry, they’ve got Charlie (Curnow), they’ve got (Marc) Pittonet, they’ve got (Tom) De Koning who is emerging as a very good player.

“Can you imagine the midfield at the Blues with (Patrick) Cripps and Oliver and (Sam) Walsh and (Adam) Cerra and (Ollie) Hollands – it would be frightening,” he said.

Oliver is also contracted until 2030, the same as McKay.

St Kilda and Sydney have also been named by Fox Sports as “logical contenders”.

Shane McAdams is one name floated. Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Kane Cornes suggested Harry McKay. Photo by Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images

It comes after the news that there has been a “disconnect” between the Demons and Oliver.

Oliver suffered a series of injuries in 2023 and reportedly became “frustrated” with the club’s medical staff during his hamstring injury.

According to the report, Oliver told friends that the club should have handled it better.

But Morris also said: “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.”

Speaking on AFL Trade Radio, Damian Barrett said he believed captain Max Gawn could have signed off on the move.

“We know the powerful figure that Max Gawn is at that football club, the great captain he has been. None of this would be going on without Max Gawn’s imprimatur the way I look at it,” Barrett said.

Former GWS captain Phil Davis said the Demons’ silence “makes me thing there is some juice to this story.”

Veteran AFL commentator Dwayne Russell said on SEN Mornings that he had spend an hour with Oliver on Grand Final morning and that there “is a disconnect”.

“Melbourne either needs to give Clayton Oliver a massive hug, or they need to trade him, one of the two,” Russell said.

“That’s the way I read the situation from being with Clayton Grand Final morning.”

While Oliver struggled in 2023, he remains one of the best players in the league, particularly around clearances, leading the competition in 2022.

He is a three-time All-Australian, four-time best and fairest and two-time AFLCA Champion Player of the Year, all having come at the core of a hugely talented Melbourne midfield.

Originally published as Clayton Oliver ‘open to a move’ as bitter truth revealed in Demons trade bombshell