User blog comment:Axiaz/Melee AD Carries/@comment-4636093-20120506041111

What makes a carry is that carries build pure damage. Which means that they have to have something in their skills which make up for this lack of defences. Ranged carries have their range, Trynd, Fiora and Yi have their ults, etc.

Bruisers have pure damage in their skills, meaning they have to build more defences in their items. Olaf has: a ranged slow, attack and lifesteal steroid (lifesteal promotes him staying in the fight instead of exiting it and waiting for cooldowns), true damage nuke and his ult which 'can' be used to escape, but far better to initiate with and deal as much damage without the annoyance of being CCed.