Clayton Oliver entered 2025 ready for redemption following a difficult campaign last year but already the Melbourne star’s defensive efforts have become as a “big issue” for his side.

The Demons lost what Kane Cornes described as the “unlosable” when a Toby Greene-inspired GWS Giants side got over the top in the wet on Sunday.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Clayton Oliver ‘exposed’ as damning vision emerges.

Greene had 11 disposals, one goal and a further three score involvements in the last quarter, while attending all five centre bounces and playing just 30 seconds as a forward.

By contrast Oliver had one kick and four handballs for two turnovers and zero score involvements — while making two costly mistakes without the footy, as highlighted by Cornes and Nick Riewoldt on The Agenda Setters.

Greene was Oliver’s man at a boundary throw-in with just over 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter but the pair split quickly as the ball spilled into Melbourne’s forward 50.

“You can see Clayton runs in here with no regard for Toby getting out the back,” Riewoldt said.

Riewoldt noted another Oliver misstep on the 50m arc before GWS secured possession: “He actually looks for him here. He looks at him and he ignores him.”

The Giants then hunted for a way out, with Greene calling for the ball knowing Oliver was nowhere to be found.

“He’s a big issue, Clayton Oliver. He’s good around the footy but teams are exposing him on the way out,” Cornes said.

“Clayton Oliver tracks the footy, not exactly sure what he’s doing. Toby could have been used once, he wasn’t, he didn’t give up on the play, and look at this work rate.”

With distance already between himself and Oliver, Greene pushed on to offer himself as an option and was rewarded with a goal to close the margin down to just two points.

“In the blink of an eye, two metres turns into about 40,” Riewoldt said.

“Not only is he one of the hardest workers in the game he’s one of the best finishers as well. So Greene goes to the midfield, he pushes forward, he gets one, he gets them back into it.”

Watch The Agenda Setters live, free and on demand on 7plus Sport

Lachie Keeffe’s match-winning goal for the Giants stemmed from a kick-out and again Oliver allowed his opponent — this time Finn Callaghan — to get free in the middle of the ground.

“Finn Callaghan is out the back in the middle of the ground there, he gets on the loose end of this ball and they go forward,” Riewoldt said.

“But again it’s Clayton Oliver. He is the opponent. What’s he doing here? That ball’s clearly going to Josh Kelly. He gets sucked into the contest and the ball goes out to Callaghan. You look forward, Melbourne defenders are in good spots.”

Cornes said Dees skipper Max Gawn was right to be sitting deep as the spare defender but, after a smart Callan Ward entry inside 50, the play ended with his opponent Keeffe taking the mark and kicking the match-winning goal.

“It’s Gawn’s man who kicks the goal but take the ball all the way back — Gawn was in good position until that ball slipped out the back because Clayton got sucked in,” Riewoldt noted.

The pair then highlighted Melbourne’s baffling decision to have Jack Viney and Clayton Oliver joined by Ed Langdon for the final centre bounce.

“Melbourne need to win this game of footy. We go to the centre bounce, 53 seconds on the clock. Get your best players around the footy,” Cornes said.

“Viney tick, Oliver tick, Langdon — what is Langdon doing in the centre bounce and Petracca forward?”

Riewoldt said: “You look at Christian Petracca’s day. He was dominant in at centre bounce. He’s standing at centre half-forward.”

“So even if they do win that clearance, Melbourne, it is going over Christian’s head,” he went on.

“You’ve got to get him in the ground or you’ve got to get him deep in the square. Giants win the clearance, go down the other end, game over.”