Melbourne star Clayton Oliver brought his own footy against North Melbourne on Saturday.
Oliver is a near certainty to poll three Brownlow Medal votes after amassing a career-high 45 disposals, 13 clearances, 13 inside 50s and a game-high 621 metres gained as the Demons ran out 47-point winners.
David King thinks Oliver’s dominant display against the Kangaroos has been underrated, explaining how the midfielder has moved into the “Greg Williams mould”.
Speaking on SEN’s Whateley, King and Gerard Whateley discussed whether Oliver’s 45-disposal outing has gone under the radar.
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King: “Have you seen a more underrated 45 disposals than Clayton Oliver’s? No one is even talking about it because he does it too regularly.”
Whateley: “The game has no cachet. If he does that against Fremantle in a game at the MCG that matters, he’ll get the full tote odds then.
“He does it regularly when it really matters.”
King: “I think he’s moved into the Greg Williams mould where he has to do something quite extraordinary to even raise his name.
“He’s still a young player. We judge him so hard now. We’re devaluing his 45-disposal game.”
Whateley: “He still gets the three votes, but it’s just not the biggest story of the weekend.
“If he does that against Fremantle in the twilight on Saturday and Melbourne decimate a team who are coming at them, if he does it against the Brisbane Lions, he’ll get the full tote odds then.”
Oliver is ranked first in the AFL for clearances and stoppage clearances and second for disposals and contested possessions, making him a leading contender to win this year’s Brownlow.
The 24-year-old has polled 61 coaches’ votes this year – the third most ever after 10 rounds of an AFL season behind Nat Fyfe (80), Lachie Neale (62) and Chris Judd (62).
He finished third in last year’s Brownlow with 31 votes.