Uncompromising onballer Clayton Oliver has won the 2015 Morrish Medal, after a sensational second half in the TAC Cup.
Murray Bushrangers were eliminated on the weekend, going out in straight sets after their semi-final loss to Oakleigh Chargers, but not without Oliver’s best efforts.
While Oliver does not have the most silky skills or electrifying pace, what he does offer is uncompromising toughness and throws himself at every contest.
One needs to only look at his efforts on Sunday to see he is a man who hates to lose.
No-one enjoys losing, but Oliver just looks like a man who would burn every ounce of energy to get his side over the line.
After picking up just one vote in the first nine rounds of the season, Oliver collected a whopping 14 votes in the final nine rounds, including four best on grounds.
The late flurry saw him leapfrog Bound For Glory News Rising Stars medallist Jade Gresham from the Northern Knights and Eastern Ranges’ Darcy Crocker.
Oliver finished on 15 votes, one ahead of Gresham and Crocker, while Eastern duo Blake Hardwick and Ryan Clarke finished on 13 and 12 votes respectively.
In his 16 games, Oliver booted 20 goals, averaged 24.25 disposals per game at 70 per cent efficiency, while also averaging 4.5 marks and 5.9 tackles per game.
His season impressed enough recruiters to receive an invite to the National Draft Combine, where he his athletic and physical traits will be tested against the country’s best 17 and 18 year-olds.
2015 MORRISH MEDAL FINAL LEADERBOARD
15 – Clayton Oliver (Murray Bushrangers) 15
14 – Darcy Crocker (Eastern Ranges), Jade Gresham (Northern Knights)
13 – Blake Hardwick (Eastern Ranges)
12 – Ryan Clarke (Eastern Ranges)
10 – Aaron Fenton (Eastern Ranges), Aloysio Ferreira (Gippsland Power), Josh Schache (Murray Bushrangers)
9 – Lachlan Williams (Dandenong Stingrays), Jacob Hopper (North Ballarat Rebels), Kieran Lovell (Tasmania)
8 – Darcy Parish (Geelong Falcons), Nash Holmes (Gippsland Power), Thomas Papley (Gippsland Power), Yestin Eades (North Ballarat Rebels), Michael Ercolano (Northern Knights), Jackson Volpato (Western Jets)
7 – Harrison Kol (Geelong Falcons), Matthew Flynn (NSW/ACT), Dyson Budarick (Queensland), Theo Thompson (Sandringham Dragons)
6 – Josh Battle (Dandenong Stingrays), Brandon White (Dandenong Stingrays), Ben McCarthy (Geelong Falcons), Luke Smith (Murray Bushrangers), Nick Coughlan (Murray Bushrangers), Ryan Garthwaite (Murray Bushrangers), Karl Brown (Calder Cannons)
5 – Tom Cole (Bendigo Pioneers), Zac Wunhym (Calder Cannons), Charlie Curnow (Geelong Falcons), Rhys Mathieson (Geelong Falcons), Zachary Zdybel (Geelong Falcons), Billy Lloyd (North Ballarat Rebels), Harvey Hooper (Oakleigh Chargers), Corey Wagner (Queensland), Jack Wallace (Sandringham Dragons), Tom Wilkinson (Sandringham Dragons), Harrison Pearce (Tasmania), Mitch Norton (Western Jets), Jaycob Hickey (Western Jets)
In other awards, Northern Knights’ captain Jade Gresham won the Coaches Award, Eastern Ranges’ Blake Hardwick won the Leading Goalkicker award, while North Ballarat Rebels won the TAC Award for the best road safety awareness video.
2015 Draft Profile: Ben Keays
Ben Keays (Queensland/Redland) Height: 185 cm Weight: 82 kg Position: Midfielder/medium forward Strengths: Workrate, stoppage work, scoreboard impact, marking Weaknesses: Point of difference, right foot Player comparison: Luke Parker First year impact: High Kicking: Above average Marking: Above average Endurance: Above average Speed: Average Statistics Queensland (TAC Cup): four games, 20.3 kicks, 13.3 handballs, 33.5 disposals, […]
2015 Draft Profile: Jack Silvagni
Jack Silvagni (Oakleigh Chargers) Height: 191cm Weight: 83kg Position: Utility Player comparison: Jack Gunston Strengths: Versatility, goal kicking technique, defensive positioning, overhead marking Weaknesses: Lack of height to be key position, raw, yet to develop physically First year impact: Long term prospect Kicking: Average Marking: Above average Endurance: Average Speed: Average Jack Silvagni will be […]
2015 Draft Profile: Mitchell Hibberd
Mitchell Hibberd (Tassie Mariners/Clarence) Height: 191 cm Weight: 85 kg Position: Medium Defender/Midfielder Strengths: Endurance, marking, foot skills, defensive acts, professionalism Weaknesses: Contested ball-winning, Body size Player comparison: Jack Crisp First year impact: Near future Kicking: Excellent Marking: Excellent Endurance: Elite Speed: Above average Statistics: Tassie Mariners (TAC Cup): three games, 13.3 kicks, […]
2015 Draft Profile: Clayton Oliver
Clayton Oliver (Murray Bushrangers) Height: 187 cm Weight: 85 kg Position: Inside midfielder Player comparison: Patrick Cripps Strengths: Contested work, ball winning ability, overhead marking, scoreboard impact Weaknesses: Running ability, body shape First year impact: Rising star nominee Kicking: Above average Marking: Above average Endurance: Average Speed: Average The big bolter in the 2015 draft is […]
2015 Draft Profile: Ben Crocker
Ben Crocker (Oakleigh Chargers) Height: 185 cm Weight: 84 kg Position: Medium forward Player comparison: Tom Bell Strengths: Contested marking, goal kicking, leadership Weaknesses: Endurance, questions over midfield development First year impact: Low Contested marking is a trait admired in players and put at a premium for anyone below 190 centimetres. Oakleigh’s Ben Crocker is […]
2015 Draft Profile: Daniel Rioli
Daniel Rioli (North Ballarat Rebels) Height: 180 cm Weight: 69 kg Position: Small forward Player comparison: Jeff Garlett Strengths: Goal sense, x-factor, agility, speed Weaknesses: Defensive work, consistency First year impact: Very low Whenever the surname Rioli is brought up, there is unrivalled excitement. Like Cyril before him and Maurice and Michael before Cyril, Daniel Rioli […]
2015 Draft Profile: Tom Cole
Tom Cole (Bendigo Pioneers) Height: 186 cm Weight: 80 kg Position: Utility Player comparison: Matthew Boyd Strengths: Versatility, inside work, leadership Weaknesses: Speed, outside game First year impact: Low to medium Bendigo’s Tom Cole is your footballer’s footballer. There is nothing too flashy about the inside midfielder, but there is nothing wrong with him either. […]
2015 Draft Profile: Kieran Collins
Kieran Collins (Dandenong Stingrays) Height: 194 cm Weight: 100 kg Position: Key defender Player comparison: Daniel Talia Strengths: One-on-ones, strength, decision making Weaknesses: Offensive impact, speed First year impact: High Kieran Collins is best known as the other tall defender next to number one pick Jacob Weitering, but he is so much more than that. […]
2015 Draft Profile: Darcy Tucker
Darcy Tucker (North Ballarat Rebels) Height: 183 cm Weight: 80 kg Position: Outside midfielder/half back Player comparison: Sam Docherty Strengths: Skills, footy smarts, leadership Weaknesses: Consistency, inside game First year impact: Some, but likely to be a second year player In every draft there are bolters and sliders that rise up or drop down the order […]
