Melbourne have emphatically shot down rumours that there is tension between star midfielder Clayton Oliver and the AFL club, saying it's simply not true.
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Oliver is contracted to the Demons until the end of 2030, but Melbourne briefly considered trading him last year and his future remains a hot talking point.
The 27-year-old is averaging 23.5 possessions and 4.33 clearances this year - both the lowest since his debut season of 2016.
Reports have emerged of frustration and tension building between Oliver and the club, leading to talk he could be up for grabs at the end of this season.
Demons assistant Andrew McQualter, facing the media on Wednesday in place of the ill Simon Goodwin, flatly rejected the notion there was any tension.
"It's just not true," McQualter said.
"Clayton's great. He's really determined to play great footy for us, be a great teammate.
"You look at him every time he comes to training and the kid's hungry to improve.
"He probably hasn't played as well as he has in previous years, but he's still doing a role for us.
"I think 'Goody' mentioned a couple of weeks ago that teams are still tagging him, so there's a lot of stuff he's doing right and he's determined to improve."
In a dose of good news for the Demons, Harrison Petty and Caleb Windsor have signed contract extensions that will tie them to the club until 2027 and 2028 respectively.
Goodwin, who is battling an infection, is expected to be back in time to coach the side in Saturday night's crunch clash with GWS at the MCG.
The Dees are optimistic ruckman Max Gawn will be given the green light to face the Giants.
Gawn hasn't played since suffering a chip to the base of his right fibula against West Coast two-and-a-half weeks ago.
His absence was especially felt last week when Melbourne lost the clearance count an astounding 47-16 in a 50-point loss to Fremantle.
"It was an incredibly disappointing day," McQualter said.
"When you get smacked around the ball like that, you really don't give yourself much of a chance of winning.
"We just didn't get it done in the midfield. It's not about putting the heat on them, it's about finding solutions to get better."
Defender Christian Salem has been ruled out for three to four weeks with a hamstring injury.
Melbourne sit 10th with a 10-8 record.
After facing fifth-placed GWS, the Demons take on fellow finals contenders the Western Bulldogs, Port Adelaide, Gold Coast and Collingwood in a tricky run home.
Despite all of their remaining five opponents jostling for spots in the top eight, McQualter dismissed the 'eight-point game' notion.
"We watched a little documentary on Roger Federer yesterday, and every point is worth the same amount," McQualter said.
"They're all big games, we can't hide behind that, the competition is so tight, but they're all worth four points."
Australian Associated Press
