Melbourne midfielder Clayton Oliver is reportedly looking for a "fresh start" despite appearing to have fallen back in love with the Victorian club.
Oliver has sought a trade from the Demons during the past two player movement periods, with Adelaide and Geelong having previously made enquiries about him.
However, the difficulty in making a successful move for the 27-year-old is the length remaining on his contract and the dollar figure attached to it.
Channel 9's Tom Morris spoke on the Oliver saga and the reasoning why he wants to move.
"Clayton Oliver is entirely invested in Melbourne," Morris said on theย Footy Furnace.
"And he loves playing for Melbourne. He's got nothing against the players, the coaches, or the club whatsoever.
"But my understanding is he wants a fresh start again at the end of the year, and this conversation will happen at the end of the season, as it has the last two seasons.
"Then it will be up to Melbourne. He's on $1.5 to $1.7 million a year, and he's contracted until the end of 2030.
"My understanding is he does want a fresh start again at the end of the year."@tommorris32 with big news on Clayton Oliver's future. #9FootyFurnace | Watch on Nine & 9Now ๐ฅ๏ธ pic.twitter.com/sptLgQY1e9
— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) May 4, 2025
"I don't see how Melbourne can offload him, even if they wanted to, and pay some of his salary. They all might be snookered."
Captain Max Gawn spoke about
"There is going to be stories about him (Clayton Oliver) until we're done," Gawn said on Triple M's Mick in the Morning.
"For his future, I could not care (what he decides to do next year). I am literally week-to-week with the footy club and with Clayton, so all I care about is him getting up for Hawthorn with a smile on his face. Whatever happens at the end of the year, happens.
"I'm going to pretend (the story) hasn't been written and continue my relationship with Clayton."
Oliver was absent from the West Coast victory at Optus Stadium after it was revealed he "wasn't feeling well", with the club prioritising his wellbeing.
In the lead-up to the Eagles clash, Melbourne spoke on the "difficult week personally" the on-baller had endured.
"Clayton has had a difficult week personally, and as such, both he and the club have agreed that it would be best for him not to play against the Eagles on Saturday," GM of Football Performance Alan Richardson said.
"We expect Clayton to return to the program next week, but as always, his mental and physical health will be the priority.
"As an industry, it's pleasing to see the progress we've made in normalising players putting their hand up when they need support.
"The club's focus is on surrounding Clayton with the care he needs, and we ask that his privacy is respected."
It is unclear yet as to when Oliver will be made available again, with the Demons looking toward a clash with Hawthorn.
