By Erin Pearson
AFL star Clayton Oliver has been slapped with a $600 fine but avoided conviction for driving while his licence was suspended on medical grounds.
The 26-year-old Melbourne Football Club player was originally due to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court himself on Tuesday, but instead left his lawyer, Sally Vardy, to appear on his behalf.
Demons star Clayton Oliver avoided a conviction for driving on a suspended licence.Credit: Paul Rovere
The court heard Oliver had been mailed a notice advising him that his licence would be suspended on medical grounds from November 10, 2023, after medical staff had contacted VicRoads.
Leading Senior Constable Jaime Clifford said that six days later, the 26-year-old was driving along Moorhouse Street in Camberwell, in Melbourne’s east, when he was pulled over by police.
Clifford said checks on Oliver’s driver’s licence indicated the AFL star’s driving privileges had been suspended at the time for a medical review.
When asked about this, Oliver replied he’d had a seizure in October and when he went to see the Melbourne Football Club doctor, he was told that he could not drive.
“I wasn’t aware that I was suspended; I was aware that I wasn’t insured and if I did crash, I’d be liable for everything,” Oliver told police.
“I didn’t think having one seizure from having a head knock accounted to getting my licence suspended.”
Vardy said her client maintained he was unaware his licence was suspended at the time. She said that while he acknowledged he had received a letter in the mail from VicRoads, he said he neglected to open it.
She said it stemmed from Oliver suffering a seizure on October 23, but that he had misunderstood the reach of the medical advice.
Vardy said Oliver had not driven since November 16 and was currently using rideshares, carpooling and getting lifts from family members.
“His licence is still currently suspended under that medical caveat. He’s working with the medical team to ensure as soon as he’s ticked off ... he’ll be able to get his licence back. He’s anticipating that’ll be in the next couple of months,” Vardy said.
Magistrate Barry Johnstone said cars could be lethal weapons and maintained people should not be driving if they’ve been instructed not to by medical staff.
He noted it was Oliver’s first court case, with a traffic infringement matter from 2016 the only relevant prior.
Oliver in action during an August 2023 match between the Demons and the Hawks at MCG.Credit: Getty Images
“People of otherwise good character do stupid things in cars, and this was a stupid thing,” Johnstone said.
The magistrate ordered Oliver, who pleaded guilty to driving while suspended, pay a fine of $600 without conviction.
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