Clayton Oliver’s manager has revealed there was genuine trade interest in his client.
Clayton Oliver’s long-term manager Nick Gieschen has revealed why his client decided to stay in Melbourne after a week of extensive research, as well as the teams chasing the midfielder ahead of the transfer window.
Oliver was named as the target of a shock deal on Monday, with reports from SEN and AFL Media claiming the four-time best and fairest’s off-field behavior left much to be desired.
Melbourne confirmed the reports on Friday, also stating that while the club was more than happy to keep the footballer on their books, Oliver needed to be updated in terms of his preparation and communication with the club’s staff.
In an exclusive interview with AFL Media’s Callum Twomey, Gieschen claimed that while there was genuine trade interest in his client from Adelaide, Essendon, Geelong, St Kilda and Sydney, Oliver’s love for the red and the blue proved strong enough to see him to stay.
“It’s been confronting, but out of all of this it’s an opportunity to grow. Off the back of a lot of the hard, honest, robust conversations it’s given him a chance to get some stuff off his chest and some time to heal,” Gieschen told Twomey.
“He very much loves the Melbourne Football Club, it’s like his family. He’s grown up there, he feels very strongly about the footy club and the players and coaches, and sometimes families fight but he’s got enormous respect for ‘Goody’ and as much as it’s been challenging I don’t think he can see himself playing under another coach because of all the support he’s had from the footy club.”
Gieschen also revealed that a Thursday night dinner hosted at head coach Simon Goodwin’s house provided the perfect platform for the gun midfielder to speak openly.
Melbourne football manager Alan Richardson also attended a crucial meeting to restore order at Demonland.
And while last week’s intense speculation was put to bed ahead of the club’s best and fairest judgment on Friday, Gieschen insisted his star client still had “work to do” to match Melbourne’s domestic standards again.
“He’s got a job to do, he knows he’s going to do it and he’s trying and Melbourne have been unbelievable. Clayton has had as much support as any player – he’s so grateful for Melbourne’s support, the players have shown a lot. take care.” he has a lot of love for Melbourne. He is very excited about the future,” Gieschen concluded.
Gieschen – a leading pillar in Paul Connor’s Connors Sports Management group – played a leading hand in seeing Melbourne secure Oliver’s signature on a seven-year deal in June of 2022.
Oliver remains contracted to the Redlegs until the cessation of the 2023 season.
