HE HAS reached greater heights than most who have played the game, but as the end of a successful career starts to close in, a senior premiership medallion is still missing from the trophy cabinet of Chris Oliver.
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And the Buninyong ruckman admits claiming one this year would be the perfect way to end to his playing days.
Oliver is a former St Kilda tall, who joined the Bombers from Numurkah to play a season with brother-in-law Beau Guest before calling retirement.
"We'd always talked about playing together for a year - and what could be my last year - so it worked out to be this year,” Oliver told The Courier.
"I've enjoyed it a hell of a lot up at Buninyong. It's a really good bunch of guys and to play with the brother-in-law is always nice as well."
Oliver has an impressive football CV, which includes three seasons with the Saints before stints with Sturt in the SANFL and then Frankston in the VFL before taking his game to the country.
The 33-year-old said he was never able to lock in his place in the St Kilda team, largely because he was forced to compete with big names such as Nick Riewoldt and Justin Koschitzke, who were drafted to the club in the same year.
"We were fighting for similar positions and they were obviously the first preference and the first picked. I just never really cemented that spot and never really kicked on,” Oliver said.
"It's a little bit disappointing to only play 10 games, but if you had your time over again, you'd probably do a few little things different.
"When you're 18 and 19, you don’t really appreciate what you've got at that point.”
Oliver has been a regular in the ruck this year, working closely with Bomber mainstay Anthony Ebery.
“I guess it probably took us half of a year to work out the best way for us to work together and it has sort of freed (Ebery) up a lot more to be up forward and kick quite a few goals this year as well,” Oliver said.
And with the Bombers one of just six teams in the hunt for a Central Highlands Football League flag, Oliver has dared to dream.
"Never say never (to playing another season), but I think the way the body sort of feels this time of year, it's probably getting towards the end. It would be nice to go out on the ultimate high, but that's a few weeks ahead of us yet,” he said.
"If we win a flag, I think it probably makes the decision (to retire) really easy, but if you make a grand final or get close in the prelim, it makes you think you're not far off.
"We will see how the year ends, but if we can win a flag that would be the ultimate way to go out."
