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"Embarrassing and stupid": Cornes on Oliver's media war
SEN • October 20th, 2025 9:35 am
How much buyers remorse would the GWS Giants have for acquiring Clayton Oliver after his “embarrassing and stupid” attack on members of the media, Kane Cornes has asked.
Last week, Oliver secured a move from Melbourne in exchange for a future third-round pick following a bewildering trade period for the Dees' midfielder after he was effectively sacked by his club.
Despite expressing his desire to remain at the club, the contracted midfielder was told that they would be looking to shift Oliver's on-field role in 2026 under new coach Steven King, expressing that the 28-year-old must be prepared to play an outside role, or face time in the VFL.
Before his move to NSW was confirmed, Oliver had made headlines for an airport run-in with Channel 7’s Mitch Cleary during which he launched verbal insults at the journalist.
Now he’s taken on Channel 9 and SEN’s Tom Morris for comments he made about the trade on Footy Furnace.
Morris suggested that in landing Jack Steele from St Kilda, Melbourne had acquired a more reliable version of Oliver with a better character.
Oliver took issue with it posting a video of the footage with the caption: ““Seen and heard you do a few questionable things off field chompers.”
He then added: “Exemplary character. What a role model” referring to Morris’ 2022 sacking from Fox Sports.”
Cornes labelled Oliver’s actions “incredibly stupid” saying he has started a war “he won’t win”.
“How much buyers remorse do the Giants have,” Cornes said on SEN Breakfast. “A fair bit I reckon.
“This isn’t me defending the media at all because the media has to be accountable.
“Clayton has been held to account for how he’s carried himself to the point the club sacked him. He was pulled in by a great, told to pack his bags and he was shipped off.
“For him to go down this path, he’s incredibly stupid for doing this. He won’t win a war against the media, he just won’t.
“Whilst the giants feel like they have a good player and they got him cheap, this is not without risk.
“If I’m Adam Kingsley, Dave Matthews or Jason McCartney, I don’t like this.
"Once you become a distraction for tour teammates and you make it about yourself and you put yourself in the headlines. It’s a form of selfishness that you’re putting yourself above the team.
“This is a warning for the Giants they will have to reign this guy in. I think it’s highly embarrassing.
“He’s not going to win this, its naive, it’s stupid. He’s taken on Mitch; he’s taken on Tom.”
