Dees play safe on star
Oliver poised to tackle Pies after missing Blues clash
Melbourne star Clayton Oliver will not play against Carlton on Friday night, but the Demons expect him to be fit to play on the King’s Birthday against Collingwood.
Demons coach Simon Goodwin says Oliver is “progressing really well”, but picking him to face the Blues is a risk he is not willing to take.
“He won’t play, but we’re really confident that he’ll play the week after,” Goodwin said.
“He’s too important for us to take a really big risk, and Friday night would be a risk … he’s progressing really well and he’ll get an extended break after, so he’ll definitely play the week after.”
Melbourne recruited strong-bodied midfielder Luke Dunstan after the 2021 season to provide depth for its star onballers, but the former Saint suffered a medial ligament sprain in the VFL earlier this month and is unlikely to be called straight back into the senior side if fit this week.
The Demons were unable to make the most of Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy’s 56-28 hitout advantage in the loss to Fremantle, with the Dockers edging them in the clearances 37-39 in Oliver’s absence.
Goodwin said Dunstan would not be an immediate solution to fill the midfield void against the Blues.
“He’s a chance to play … he’ll be back playing some form this week. He’s gone through a four, five-week rehabilitation process,” Goodwin said.
“He probably needs a bit of footy under his belt before he’s available for AFL footy, but he’s certainly someone that can help our midfield as time goes on.”
Goodwin said the Demons had “a map” for how they wanted to progress over the season, and he was comfortable they were still on course despite two consecutive defeats.
“Obviously there was a level of frustration about how we executed, certainly with ball in hand, but there’s also a bit of perspective about where we sit and the opportunities that present in front of us,” he said.
“We’re in a pretty strong position from where we sit, and we’re certainly aiming to play our best footy as the year goes on.
“That hasn’t changed for us, although we would like to win – we’ve lost by a combined total of 11 points in two weeks, so we’re not that far off.”
He said any potential issues with forward line functionality after the two losses were not a “huge concern” for his side.
“We’re number one for scoring, so scoring certainly hasn’t been an issue, but ... we’re continuing to look at ways we can maximise both ends of the ground,” he said.