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Clayton Oliver has reportedly told Melbourne he wants to stay at the club after a round of crisis meetings in recent days.
According to News Corp reports, meetings held in the last 48 hours have included senior coach Simon Goodwin, CEO Gary Pert and football boss Alan Richardson.
Melbourne is also keen on retaining Oliver, who it signed to a whopping seven-year extension last June, but is believed to have given the 25-year-old a list of demands if he is to stay at the club.
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A fiery training ground exchange between an injured Oliver and Melbourne’s head of strength and conditioning, Selwyn Griffith, caused controversy during the season, and reports suggest there’s been lingering tension behind the scenes.
According to SEN’s Sam Edmund, Melbourne’s list of demands to Oliver include “the need to treat club staff with respect, teammates with respect, prepare the way he should and to turn up to training in the proper condition”.
Edmund also reported that Oliver “had made clear his dissatisfaction with his club to various sections of the AFL industry” after suffering multiple setbacks in his recovery from a hamstring injury which limited him to just 15 games this season.
“Insiders said Melbourne was making no apologies for setting the standards they believe are critical to success in professional sport,” Edmund told SEN.
“Demons officials have been eager to support, nurture and even protect Oliver as he navigated some challenges this year and in many cases they have done so on external advice.
“But Oliver’s downward spiral has forced the club to take a harder stance and it’s that stance that has set the trade period alight.”
Part of Melbourne’s concerns over Oliver’s behaviour stems from his late arrival to a post-season exit meeting with Goodwin, with the coach left concerned at his star’s condition when he eventually did arrive, per News Corp.
Adelaide and Essendon have been the two clubs linked with Oliver, with the Crows thought to be the favourite if Melbourne and the three-time All-Australian decide to part ways with each other.
Oliver has played 162 games for Melbourne since being selected third overall in the 2015 draft, and has won the club’s best and fairest award on four separate occasions.
