Racing
League
Rugby
Cricket
Golf
Motorsport
Combat Sports
Football
Netball
Basketball
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Find your frequency hereThe star that Healy thinks could be the steal of the trade period
SEN • August 12th, 2025 11:36 am
Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy thinks that Clayton Oliver could be a great steal for a rival club in this year’s trade period.
Oliver had a desire to join Geelong last off-season, but Melbourne held firm on keeping the four-time best and fairest winner at the club.
But after another down season by his standards, many think that Oliver could be gettable this time around, particularly given how much he’s owed until the end of the 2030 campaign.
Potentially available on the cheap, Healy thinks that Oliver could get back to his best at a new club next season.
“Clayton Oliver’s game on the weekend was good (when he had 27 disposals),” Healy said on SEN Sportsday.
“It was an amazing matchup (against the Dogs’ midfield), but his work rate was back to its best.
“It's taken him a long time, I think he's going to be back.
“If he were available right now to get him for nothing, it could be one of the great steals.”
Bulldogs great Brad Johnson also paid close attention to Sunday’s game, and he thinks that Oliver can also find his feet again as one of the game’s elite with a perfect pre-season.
He thinks this summer could set the base for Oliver to return to his consistent best instead of a player whose impact varies week-to-week.
“We know the talent that he’s got, and he's had things that he's had to deal with himself personally,” Johnson said.
“He needs a free run at it from the moment the season stops, and he has to take it seriously from that point.
“He's a player who sort of can't breathe on things now. He has to get things back to a really professional, consistent level.
“That will see his performance become great not just once every three weeks, but consistently every week again, back to that level that we all know he can play at.
“He's a star when he's going like that.”
Oliver is averaging 25.2 disposals, 5.7 tackles and 5.5 clearances a game in 2025. All of those statistics are up from his 2024 output.
