Clayton Oliver has admitted he was “a little bit emotional” after producing a stunning performance to inspire Melbourne to their first win of the AFL season against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday. The superstar midfielder looked anything but a player who missed large parts of the pre-season, while dealing with a host of personal issues that date as far back as last year.
Oliver had an injury-riddled season in 2023 but played below his best even when fit, with repeated questions over his lack of professionalism and poor off-field behaviour levelled at him. He was then the subject of intense trade speculation at the end of the season before he and the club re-committed to his monster seven-year contract.