AFL 2023: Clayton Oliver comes clean on trade drama, hospitalisation, Melbourne Demons, why did he c

Melbourne star Clayton Oliver has broken his silence on his turbulent off-season, revealing he would have been potentially open to leaving the Demons if they instigated a move, as well as his shock hospitalisation.

Oliver was at the centre of the biggest rumour of the trade period, with reports the club were open to moving him on due to reported behavioural issues. But just days later, the 26-year-old premiership midfielder was taken to hospital after a reported seizure.

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But the star has revealed the truth behind both dramas, breaking his silence on 7News Melbourne.

Oliver admitted that he would have left the club “if they didn’t want me”.

“Didn’t want to leave - love the club, love the boys,” Oliver continued. “Love Goody (coach Simon Goodwin), always looked after me - got my back. Rides me hard but in a good way. I owe my career to him. I’d never leave someone who’s been so loyal to me.”

Speaking on the hospitalisation, Oliver said it was mixture of ADHD medication, a lack of sleep from stress and a brutal workout all contributed to the startling situation.

“It’s been a little bit stressful, it usually doesn’t get to me,” Oliver said.

“I take medication for my ADHD, so I’ve been talking to doctors about that for a while now, and sort of been light-headed and high heart rate, it sort of affects me a fair bit, and I sort of fainted that day off the Wattbike.

“Was in bed sleeping at Joel’s (Smith) and got up to get a drink, and the next thing I knew I was on the ground.”

Oliver was rushed to hospital after his head reportedly struck the ground.

It was reported that Oliver had been at Smith’s home at the time, his Demons teammate who was revealed as the player who tested positive for cocaine after the Round 23 game against Hawthorn, an incident for which Smith is facing a three-month suspension.

Oliver added that he just wants to put the tumult behind him and bounce back to his best in 2024.

But Oliver also said he was “flat” after his off-field issues had been raised once again.

Oliver’s interview comes the day after Demons coach Goodwin and CEO Gary Pert hit back at rumours which have resurfaced on SEN Breakfast, dragging the club’s culture under the microscope.

Former club captain Garry Lyon asked Goodwin directly if Oliver had an issue with illicit substances, the coach sidestepped and didn’t answer the question directly.

“Clayton Oliver has got some personal challenges and that’s the best way we can describe it. It’s a very complex situation that we’ve got going on with Clayton and clearly those challenges have been ongoing for multiple years,” Goodwin said.

“This isn’t something that has just reared its head in recent times. This is something that has been ongoing for our footy club and our team for a number of years.

“We’re working incredibly closely with Clayton right now and building the best people around him and putting care around him to deal with his complex personal issues.”

Goodwin also denied his own illicit substance rumours which have plagued him for the best part of the past three years.

Goodwin revealed that the club had called for Oliver to be more professional.

“If he can’t come along with our culture, there will be some consequences that come with that and we need to be in a position where we can drive our high-performance culture and Clayton is a big part of that,” he said.

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“We were looking to get a real, clear commitment from Clayton that he was prepared to do the work, to buy into the standards and behaviours and minimum things we were looking for and to really want to be a part of the Melbourne footy club.

“In the end he did, he wanted to be a part of where we’re going and we’re going to work with him to do that.”

But Goodwin and Pert claimed Oliver’s issues and the Smith drug test were “isolated incidents” and that “we haven’t got a cultural problem”.

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