Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has emphatically shut down reports that surfaced around Clayton Oliver’s absence last week against West Coast, labelling them as “just not true”.
Speaking on Fox Footy’s AFL 360, the 2021 premiership coach opened up on Oliver’s last seven days, which saw him withdraw from his side’s Round 8 clash in Perth to focus on his wellbeing.
It sparked speculation on the personal reasons that led to his absence, which Goodwin addressed on Wednesday night before highlighting the internal frustration that wrongful reports caused.
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One report suggested that there were three reasons Oliver didn’t play the Eagles — his form, his game time so far this season, and a frustration that he wasn’t traded to Geelong last year.
“That’s where the frustration sits with Clayton and the people around (him). It’s just not true. He hasn’t got resentment towards the footy club, he’s not upset with game time. He needed time away on medical advice … the majority of the media were fantastic to give him that time, and I think there’s a great maturity in our industry that’s building,” Goodwin said.
“But the stories that were told, they just weren’t right — and I think that’s where the frustration for Clayton and obviously for Brad Green (came from).”
The doorstopping of Oliver on Tuesday morning at Casey Fields before training prompted club president and former player Brad Green to take to Twitter and defend his star midfielder, before taking aim at the media.
The sole question asked of Oliver was in regards to his availability for this Saturday’s clash with Hawthorn.
In great news for the three-time All-Australian and his club, Goodwin confirmed that Oliver will return for the match after one round off.
“He’ll definitely play, he’s been back around the club (and) back in a really good headspace. It was part of the journey that we knew we were going to undertake in the last 12 months,” Goodwin said.
“We’ve been on this journey with Clayton for three years, and the last 12 months there’s been an unbelievable understanding internally of the challenge and the work that he’s done. We’re so proud of the work that he’s done, and we knew there would be times where he would need a break.
“We’ve had two clear focuses; one of them is to get his health and wellbeing to a really high level, and the second one is to get his footy back to its best. Having a week off, he feels refreshed and is ready to go.
“I think previously, Clayton would’ve pushed through and gone further into a place that he didn’t want to be — and that’s when it does become a distraction.”
Oliver and his Demons will be eyeing off their fourth win in a row this weekend against Hawthorn, with coverage of the match live on Fox Footy’s Super Saturday Live beginning at 12:30pm AEST on Channel 504 and Kayo Sports.
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