Oakley, who took part in Tuggeranong’s classic grand final defeat to the Woden Rams in September, will be another valuable addition to the Bulldogs’ 2019 lineup following the signings of Mitch Cornish, Tyler Cornish, and James Aubusson in recent weeks.

Goulburn coach Adam Kyle said that it was his pre-existing relationship with Oakley that proved the clincher for the 20-year-old’s move. 

“I coached Liam in Harold Matthews … it must’ve been five years ago now and built a really good rapport with him then,” Kyle said. 

“He actually approached us to come across to the club as a bit of a change for him.

“[It was] a pretty exciting phone call to get, to be honest.” 

Oakley will bring to the club a wealth of experience from his time with Tuggeranong, and a very heavy tackling style which belies his size. 

“I’m not the biggest bloke, but I give it me all and I hope I can bring that to the club next year,” Oakley said. 

One of the biggest factors in his shift to the Bulldogs was the direction in which the club is headed. They moved early in the off season to secure the Cornish brothers and Aubusson, and have made a concerted push to ensure that 2019 is a more successful year. 

“He [Kyle] sounded really convincing in what he’s doing for the club and I really liked it, so I just made the move,” Oakley said. 

“They’re a good club and they’re pretty successful each year.” 

Playing alongside a number of former NRL players will also give Oakley the opportunity to pick their brains and continue to grow as a player. 

“That was probably one of the reasons why I was really keen on Goulburn,” Oakley said. 

“They’ve obviously had NRL experience and I reckon they can help me better my game, and so can Adam.”

The addition of Oakley has furthered Kyle’s optimism about the upcoming season, particularly alongside the strength that the team will now possess in the backs. 

“Next year we’re gonna have Tyler at fullback, Mitchell at seven, and James Aubusson at nine,” Kyle said. 

“There’s not too many clubs that can boast an NRL spine.”