There was tense exchange in between Melbourne list supervisor Tim Lamb and experienced AFL press reporter Sam McClure on Wednesday night as the clock ticked down on the league’s due date day. McClure quizzed Lamb over distressed midfielder Clayton Oliver, who had actually revealed an interest in relocating to Geelong throughout the trade duration in spite of still under a huge agreement at the Demons. In uncommon look at a media conference, McClure took on with Lamb and asked if there was “a relationship that will need to be fixed” in between Oliver and the club. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today “Understanding of the reality that he was desperate to get Geelong, exists a point now that you need to sit him down and talk him through why that didn’t occur and how he can recommit to the next 6 years at Melbourne?” McClure stated. Lamb countered. Lamb thinks Melbourne can go back to their finest when Petracca and Oliver are shooting. Credit: Getty Images “I’ll challenge your term ‘desperate to get to Geelong’. That’s a term that you utilize which’s okay,” he stated. McLure clarified: “Well, he drove down the highway to meet them so he should have been quite eager.” Lamb reacted: “Semantics … anyhow.” He then firmly insisted Melbourne would be much better next year than in 2024, when Christian Petracca goes back to complete physical fitness and Oliver finishes a complete pre-season. “(Oliver will) be back at training and getting ready to go (in the pre-season),” Lamb stated. “Clayton will have a complete pre-season and be back to his finest (next year).” He likewise stated Oliver and coach Simon Goodwin had a “terrific relationship” and Goodwin had actually remained in “continuous contact” with Oliver considering that completion of the home and away season. Speaking on Tradies podcast with 7NEWS chief AFL press reporter Mitch Cleary, McClure stated he “appreciated” Lamb and “his right to safeguard his club”. He included: “I believe that they’ve made the incorrect choice (by keeping Oliver). I believe it’s going to return to haunt them.” Oliver had a distressed off-season at the end of 2023 and had his professionalism questioned numerous times throughout that year … and in the consequences. The possibility of him being traded initially emerged at the end of 2023 … the year after he signed a tremendous seven-year agreement extension worth around $7 million. “I stated this 12 months back, that it is a huge year for Melbourne and Clayton Oliver,” McClure stated. “He had a devastating year in several methods, some were self-inflicted, others not and they missed out on the 8. “If that’s not a Dee-saster, I do not understand what is. “For all individuals who believe I’ve gone too hard, I’m sorry if they seem like that … (however) I believe Melbourne have truly, truly badly mishandled the last 12-18 months and I truthfully do not believe that is an outrageous declaration. “They’ve stopped working in their pursuit of another premiership.” Cleary stated Melbourne were harmed by injury to essential gamers in 2024 and Oliver entered into the year “underdone”. He stated Oliver needs to have had a tiny pre-season before starting his project in the opening match of the year. “When your 3 finest gamers, put May because as a 4, when 3 of your finest 4 gamers aren’t carrying out or dipping into all, it’s going to be difficult to win video games of footy,” Cleary stated. “And they lost Angus Brayshaw too.” Both Cleary and McClure stated Melbourne must not have actually missed out on finals in 2024. “Whether they improve or not (in 2025), a lot depends upon that forward line,” Cleary stated. Asked if they can win the premiership next year, Cleary stated it was possible. “It’s tough to discount them winning the flag … I can see a world where they can win the flag.” McClure was more powerful. “I do not personally believe they can win the premiership next year since I believe there are a lot of unanswered concerns … and I do not believe they can kick sufficient objectives,” he stated. “But if Oliver and Petracca both have near career-best seasons, however jeez, they will be quite close, right?” The Demons presently hold 2 choices inside the leading 10 of this years draft (5 and 9), however they did lose premiership forward Alex Neal-Bullen (who wished to return home) to Adelaide throughout the trade duration.
Melbourne about to be ‘haunted’ after making ‘incorrect’ Clayton Oliver choice
