- Clayton Oliver pulled off an impressive coup in his comeback
- He landed hard after being accidentally drilled into a tunnel.
- Oliver’s future has been a big topic of conversation lately.
Melbourne star Clayton Oliver hit a spectacular cross before being left in a world of pain during an action-packed return to duty.
Richmond and Melbourne faced off in a seven-period AFL match simulation battle at Casey Fields on Sunday, with the first four periods being the main clash.
The Tigers triumphed in the feature match by 23 points, but attention quickly turned to the remaining three periods when Oliver was eliminated among a team of fringe AFL players and VFL reloads.
Oliver’s future has been a big topic of conversation over the past nine months following repeated questions about his lack of professionalism and accusations of bad behavior off the field.
The 26-year-old, who returned to the club just three weeks ago after a personal leave of absence, was a class above from the opening bounce of the fifth period on Sunday, shooting first hand and finding the ball with ease.
Clayton Oliver had the club doctor worried after falling hard on his back
Oliver provided a standout moment when he pulled his left boot out of his pocket.
But he sent a major scare to the Demons’ camp in the sixth period when he crashed onto the turf on his back and side after being accidentally punctured.
Oliver was clearly in pain as medical staff treated him on the field, but he was able to walk unassisted before returning to the ground four minutes later.
The star midfielder continued to be a threat as the Demons nearly cruised to victory, with the Tigers enduring some nervy moments before holding on for a 21.21 (147) to 22.13 (145) victory over the seven periods.
The promising return of the midfield bull would have been encouraging for Melbourne, who are desperate to have a happy and fit Oliver back in their senior team this year.
The first four quarters were a topsy-turvy affair and featured big swings in momentum.
Melbourne scored the first five goals of the game, before Richmond responded with 10 consecutive big goals.
The Demons kicked five goals in a row during a stretch of the third period, but Richmond pulled up when the game was on the line to finish 18.9 (117) to 14.10 (94) winners at the end of the fourth period.
Oliver made a spectacular play during an action-packed return to the game.
Promising return of midfield bull would have been encouraging for Melbourne
There were plenty of positive signs for Richmond under new coach Adam Yze.
Noah Balta, a key defender who will play on offense this season, finished with three goals, while Shai Bolton scored four.
Tigers recruit Sam Naismith performed strongly against Max Gawn in the absence of Toby Nankervis.
For Melbourne, Kysaiah Pickett was lively during her spells in midfield and Christian Petracca scored twice in the first period.
Both teams were missing many of their best players.
The Tigers were without the likes of Dustin Martin, Tim Taranto, Dylan Grimes, Nankervis, Dion Prestia, Tom Lynch and Liam Baker, while Melbourne were without Angus Brayshaw, Tom McDonald, Charlie Spargo, Ben Brown, Lachie Hunter and Harrison Petty. among others. .