Cripps or Oliver.

[Hippster]

Clayton LOLiver

 

[Yellow Feathers]

One is an overrated hack and the other is one of the best midfielders in the game.

 

[T2B_]

One is an overrated hack and the other is one of the best midfielders in the game.

Bit harsh, even in his down year I wouldn't call Clarry a hack, just way way below his best.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

danster168 Gonna defend him till the clouds turn neon green or give up because he’s going to be no longer a Demon ?

 

[Seeds]

At their peaks it was clearly oliver. Won his club a flag. Just more destructive.


...... oh wait... he aint coming to us now? Oh ok. Meh ok who cares. carry on.

 

[danster168]

danster168 Gonna defend him till the clouds turn neon green or give up because he’s going to be no longer a Demon ?

his accolades speak for themselves/defend themselves. Only pretty basic people watch/care about/give credit to the Brownlow. It means nothing to me. Oliver has won the more credible awards. Awards that Cripps can't win.

 

[Pistol Night]

Clarry

 

[ItzAlex]

Thank got this debate is well and truly over. People will remember Cripps as a 2x Brownlow medallist and a generational player of this time - while people will remember Clayton Oliver

10

Clayton Oliver

Age

28

Ht

189cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

27.8

5star

K

9.5

4star

HB

18.4

5star

M

3.2

3star

T

6.3

5star

CL

6.3

5star

D

25.1

5star

K

11.1

4star

HB

14.0

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

5.6

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

19.2

5star

K

4.6

2star

HB

14.6

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

4.4

5star

CL

3.8

5star

as a has been for the potential he possessed but the drug addict he became

 

[dazzledavey36]

Cripps.

Oliver is a fat campaigner.

 

[Young Redleg]

Cripps is obviously the better player these days but this poll did have merit two years ago. I genuinely think Oliver was on Cripps' level back then.

Shame he sucks now.

 

[ItzAlex]

This poll was such a laughing stock for so long. You had Cripps, a 23 year old captaining one of the biggest clubs in the game with the whole fanbase and expectation on his shoulders. Carried us for so long, (still does). Then went through two years of chronic back injuries and you had idiots from a cheese platter MCC club say Oliver is a better player.

You don’t even need Cripps or Carlton to confirm the injuries did occur because you know what standard to expect from Cripps. He has shown it time and time again, you could even argue he will have a similar year if not better than the last in which he will be 30 years old at the beginning of next year.

I understand the potential Oliver had/maybe still has. Besides Oliver, nobody really came close to Cripps like numbers as a junior and I’ll give credit to that, in-fact I don’t even dislike Oliver, it’s just @danster who ruined the mood for everyone in here. Think if he can turn his life around, maybe leave the Demons, he can get back to his best but this debate is well and truly over now.

Cripps is a 2x Brownlow meddalist. Say what you will about the award, it’s still the most prestigious award in the game because in the end, it’s also the least biased. He’s a 1x MVP, 4x All Australian and he’s a 5x Best and Fairest winner. He’s joint most in Carlton’s HISTORY. By the end of his career, given he stays injury free - He will have the most clearances of all time and the most contested possessions of all time in the AFL’s entire history. He’s also got I would say another 4 years of footy in him given he again, stays injury free and still loves the game. Some players of the past at around that age do retire for lost love of the game and because they want to be in their kids lives more. Matthew Lloyd said this for example of his retirement and Cripps is now a father so has other priorities in life too.

Hopefully Oliver gets back to his best. All the best to him though

 

[My Tilly]

Cripps has smashed it out of the ballpark.

Oliver peaked for a few years and is now in freefall.
Won't even be Melbourne's second best midfielder next season.
Very surprised so many Geelong supporters wanted this guy traded to the club.
We already have enough journeyman mids at our disposal.

 

[Elmer_Hauser]

Cripps has smashed it out of the ballpark.

Oliver peaked for a few years and is now in freefall.
Won't even be Melbourne's second best midfielder next season.
Very surprised so many Geelong supporters wanted this guy traded to the club.
We already have enough journeyman mids at our disposal.

I just genuinely feel sad (mostly for Clarry himself) that he could have forged one of the most decorated and celebrated careers at the world's oldest established pro football club, but for a variety of reasons (a lot, not all but a lot) of them self-inflicted his career (whether at the Dees or elsewhere going fowards) will most likely be forever haunted with the question "What Might have been" ?

Similar to other prodigious talents like Phil Carmen, Fevola etc whose off field addictions and behaviour prevented them from true and meaningful greatness in the game.

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

Big season coming up for this poll. Clarry looks to be off the gear and Cripps coming off a record breaking Brownlow season.

Think each players health and form will go a long way in deciding where their teams end up.

 

[Cyclops]

Big season coming up for this poll. Clarry looks to be off the gear and Cripps coming off a record breaking Brownlow season.

Think each players health and form will go a long way in deciding where their teams end up.

Yeah be good to see both put injuries and personal issues behind them and have a clear run at it.

We saw what a bit of luck and form did for Hogan, let's have more of that here.

I still back Cripps as the more complete footballer, but Oliver does what he does better than Cripps.

Clarry

I missed this. You magnificent bastard.

 

[00Stinger]

would you prefer

4 x bfs, 3 x AA's, 2 x AFLCA awards and an AFL premiership

or 2 Brownlows (1 is an astrix, 2 is questionable), 4 x AA's & 5 x Bnfs (a lot in shit teams) and once played in a prilimany final

 

[Dewyyyyy]

would you prefer

4 x bfs, 3 x AA's, 2 x AFLCA awards and an AFL premiership

or 2 Brownlows (1 is an astrix, 2 is questionable), 4 x AA's & 5 x Bnfs (a lot in shit teams) and once played in a prilimany final

The fact you couldn’t just side by side their achievements and did () to tell your bias reasons as to why they’re not as good.

My lord..

Clayton Oliver
27 (28 in 2025)
189cm
87kg
183 games

4x B&F
17 - 9th
19 - 17th
21 - flag
22 - 2nd

2x AFL CA Best Player
2021 & 2022.

3x AA
18, 21 & 22.

BOLD = on field starter (best 18) (top 3 mids, centre, ruck rover and rover.)

Career averages:
14.82 player rating
514 coaches votes
121 brownlow votes
28.5 disposals
15.1 contested possessions
70.4% disposal efficiency
56.1% kicking efficiency & 80.1% handball efficiency
4.2 inside 50s
339 metres gained
10.6 ground ball gets.
6.6 clearances (2.5 centre clearances)
3.3 marks (0.1 contested)
54 career goals @ 0.3 a game (0.8 shots)
0.6 goal assists & 5.9 SI
5.8 tackles

Patrick Cripps
29 (30 in 2025)
195cm
93kg
207 games

5x B&F
15 -
18 -
19 - 16th
22 - 9th
24 - 8th

1x AFL PA Best Player
2019

2x Brownlow
2022 & 2024.

4x AA
18, 19, 22, 24

BOLD = on field starter (best 18) (top 3 mids, centre, ruck rover and rover.)

Career averages:
14.05 player rating
595 coaches votes
186 brownlow votes
25.8 disposals
14.7 contested possessions
69.9% disposal efficiency
55.1% kicking efficiency & 78.9% handball efficiency
3.4 inside 50s
250.7 metres gained
8.5 ground ball gets
7.1 clearances (3 centre clearances)
3.1 marks (0.6 contested)
113 career goals @ 0.5 average (1.3 shots)
0.4 goal assists 5.7 score involvements
5.4 tackles

Do as you please with the information but you’ve got to look into both not just one.

B&Fs in bad sides don’t matter if you’re still one of the best in the league (for example Cripps in 18/19).

You could look at it in a plethora of ways, Cripps was good in both poor and good teams, whereas Oliver has only performed in good teams, when Melbourne were poor he didn’t win the B&F or perform.

You can take that as his performance indicates how good Melbourne can be, or it can be that when the chips are down he isn’t performing to bring them back up.

Same with who starts in the AA side, are they an extra mid or did they command a spot on field? Do you value AA as a measure.

Do you value the coaches of teams and their inner workings to determine B&F placements?

Trust coaches, players and umpires for their individual awards they give out?

Take it as you will.

Speaking of the games history, most people will bring up the importance of the Brownlow for example and then AA teams, B&Fs and then coaches/players awards. Partially to how long each award has been a value and given.

I would probably take Cripps career individually and Oliver’s as a whole due to the flag, this can change in 2025 if Melbourne don’t progress further back into contention and Carlton manage to perform or even win a flag. Same with individual careers. Given they’re 2 years apart that can also be taken into consideration, which is why comparisons of careers prior to retirement is moot.

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

Cripps kicks snags these days. Clarry eats them.

 

[00Stinger]

Cripps kicks snags these days. Clarry eats them.

One wins premierships, the other does not

 

[Dewyyyyy]

One wins premierships, the other does not

Premiership* btw

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

One wins premierships, the other does not

As I've said to many nuffies over the years... It's not Cripps fault his team has sucked balls most of his career.

If he got drafted to Geelong or Sydney he'd probably have a handful of them by now.

 

[Bald]

One wins premierships, the other does not

As far as Centre Half Forwards go does this mean that Zaine Cordy > Nick Riewoldt?

 

[Dazb86]

If Oliver played at Carlton he would be their best player. Not sure the same could be said about Cripps at Melbourne.

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

If Oliver played at Carlton he would be their best player. Not sure the same could be said about Cripps at Melbourne.

 

[p4p1]

If Oliver played at Carlton he would be their best player. Not sure the same could be said about Cripps at Melbourne.

I think Gawn and Tracc have a pretty good shout of being Melbournes best player even when Oliver is in the team.