Melbourne has released a statement regarding the playing future of prolific midfielder Clayton Oliver, following days of movement speculation.
Following a series of reports over the course of the past few days claiming the Demons have been unimpressed with Oliver's professionalism and respect for staff members, it was confirmed on Friday morning the contested onballer will remain at the club.
According to SEN reporter Tom Morris on Friday morning, the Adelaide Crows -- one of the noted clubs seriously interested in acquiring Oliver -- were adamant as recently as last night that a trade agreement for the serial ball-winner could be reached.
However, Oliver, who is contracted at Melbourne until at least the end of the 2030 season, reportedly met with Demons senior coach Simon Goodwin on Thursday evening, with rivals now feeling that trade interest has 'closed up', according to AFL Media journalist Cal Twomey.
To put the mini-saga to rest, the Demons released a club statement on Friday morning, with CEO Gary Pert seeking to assuage Melbourne fans' concerns.
"I would like to address recent media speculation that the Melbourne Football Club is exploring a trade for Clayton Oliver," Pert began in a Friday statement.
"Firstly, I would like to acknowledge that we understand the frustration among members and supporters when our players are discussed in the media as potential trade targets.
"At no stage has the Club entered discussions with any club regarding a trade for Clayton. Furthermore, Clayton has not requested a trade and will remain at the Melbourne Football Club.
"The Club has been aware of and supporting Clayton with his personal circumstances for some time and is committed to continuing to do so.
"While Club leaders focus on the care and support Clayton needs, we also have a responsibility to uphold our strong Club culture for the benefit of all our players and staff. We have a responsibility to ensure that everyone within the Club is committed to meeting the expected behavioural standards of a player within an AFL high-performance environment.
"Clayton understands what is expected of him as a professional athlete, as well as the standards and behaviours a Melbourne person is expected to uphold.
"Finally, I would like to acknowledge the exceptional efforts of our football department leaders. They continuously drive our high-performance culture, while also providing care and support for any individual who may struggle at times in the highly scrutinised and high-pressure environment of the AFL.
"We are fortunate to have such a caring and committed group of players, coaches and staff driving the standards and values our Club is built on.
"We now ask for the football industry to respect Clayton's privacy, whilst the Club and he continue to work through these challenges."
Melbourne's best and fairest is scheduled to take place on Friday evening.
