Demons' Oliver is AFLCA's top young gun

Sep 4, 2017 - 5:33 PM Melbourne midfielder Clayton Oliver's breakout season has been acknowledged by the AFL Coaches Association, who voted him Best Young Player of the Year.

Oliver was widely considered to be unlucky not to be included in the extended All-Australian squad after he averaged 30 possessions in 22 games in his second AFL season.

The fourth overall pick at the 2015 draft managed 13 games in his first AFL season, but he admits he had a lot of work to do heading into 2017.

"Last year I probably wasn't as fit as I should have been ... I probably wasn't as professional as I needed to be," Oliver told Fox Footy's AFL 360.

"So after coming back for the pre-season I sat down with a few of the coaches and players ... Brendan McCartney told me to pick a player to look up to and Billy Stretch took me under his wing.

"My professionalism changed, I got my weight down and I was a lot fitter.

"The first five games (this season) I was still pretty nervous but I worked into it and felt better with each game I played."

Oliver finished ahead of Geelong's Sam Menegola and Demons teammate Christian Petracca in voting for the award that acknowledges the best-performed player over the first two years of their career.

Richmond superstar Dustin Martin took out the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year award, with the Cats' Patrick Dangerfield second and Adelaide's Rory Sloane third.

Source: AAP