Player Watch #8: Jake Lever – Signed until 2028

[Blackas87]

2014 Lever himself was pick 14.
2013 Matt Crouch at 23.
2012 no good draft picks
2011 Brad Crouch with what was the equivalent of about pick 8
2010 Brodie Smith at 14.
2009 Daniel Talia at 13
2008 Phil Davis at 10.
2007 Patrick Dangerfield at 10.

Want to reassess how likely we are to turn those picks into a Lever quality player? Lever doesn't even make the top 50% of those players I just listed.

Only one of those players was an All Australian at 21. You guys have drafted well in the past, need to keep it up.

 

[Vhaluus]

Only one of those players was an All Australian at 21. You guys have drafted well in the past, need to keep it up.

Well it sure wasn't Lever lol.

 

[Blackas87]

Well it sure wasn't Lever lol.

My bad for some reason I thought he was. Shows how much I pay attention that

 

[Sylvia Saint]

Think it's pretty much bang on 50/50 this trade, maybe slightly in Adelaide's favour if anything which is a bit disappointing given we had the upper hand and could have been stingy.

But we're clearly good blokes at the trade table and that might help sway potential suitors in this new business of 'nominating' clubs. You nominate us, we get the paperwork done. No funny buggers.

Draft picks are just draft picks and could be anything. Outside a top 5 pick, they're largely overrated. You could land the next Cripps or Lever himself (lol), which is unlikely, you could land a solid Dom Tyson, Christian Salem type (most likely), or you could land the next Kristian Jacksch. Giving Adelaide two bites at the cherry in this range is fair enough and it's worth noting they have a good record in this range of picks. We get pick 35 too plus an upgrade on next year's pick. That's a ANB or Hannan type as steak knives if we're lucky and perhaps a JKH if we're unlucky.

So yeah, fair deal.

 

[Ablett2Garland]

welcome legend.

 

[RandB]

We've retained our Jake count.

 

[Cannon82]

We've retained our Jake count.

Also our snake count.

 

[markm106]

Welcome aboard Jake! We have a good one here. Elite intercept player and only 21. Will only get better. Nice skills out of the backline to.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

He's a gun player guys. Providing he stays fits you won't be disappointed. Lever is the best intercept mark in the league and superb in the air. He's also a good user of the ball by foot and while not particularly fast, very agile through traffic and hits his targets.

That would be J McGovern.

You've certainly got a good one here, though.

 

[jinny1]

Simon Goodwin playing the long con...Giving Adelaide 2 first round picks, clearly he is working for them

 

[Sanders]

The other thing out of all of this...are Adelaide going to be that good?

Cameron and Lever were extremely important to them last year. There's likely to be monster speculation around Sloane and Laird all next year. Eddie is a year older, JJ is still a downhill skier.

Yeah, they just made the GF, but they got belted. They've also got a very beatable blueprint - a heavily contested, high-pressure gameplan and they go to water.

If Crows dropped to 5th or 6th and we finished top 4 we would be absolutely laughing.

A few more injuries and we could have a very different year next year

But Cameron & Lever didn’t have big years or weren’t very important to us this year

We might well slip down can’t see that as the reason though

 

[Donkey Magoo]

Would be good, especially if we can finish above them. They are boasting we will drop off and they will get an early pick. Finish top 4 would be great.

We know that you won't drop off, it's just our pipe dream. But spudding up in the last rd vs WCE certainly helped us

 

[JVseven]

We know that you won't drop off, it's just our pipe dream. But spudding up in the last rd vs WCE certainly helped us

We knew you guys wanted pick 10, it was a tactical spud up.

 

[Russian Demon]

A few more injuries and we could have a very different year next year

But Cameron & Lever didn’t have big years or weren’t very important to us this year

We might well slip down can’t see that as the reason though

Lever didnt have a big year? Do i need to back back through this year in BigFooty at all the Adelaide fans telling us hes going to be the next Rance?

 

[LeverPuller]

A few more injuries and we could have a very different year next year

But Cameron & Lever didn’t have big years or weren’t very important to us this year

We might well slip down can’t see that as the reason though

Lever made the AA squad of 40. How is that not a big year?

 

[Vhaluus]

Lever made the AA squad of 40. How is that not a big year?

Did you actually watch him this year? any time he got put on a key forward he got destroyed.

There's a reason he failed to poll top 10 in our B&F

 

[Donkey Magoo]

Did you actually watch him this year? any time he got put on a key forward he got destroyed.

There's a reason he failed to poll top 10 in our B&F

Charlie Curnow pantzed him

 

[LeverPuller]

Did you actually watch him this year? any time he got put on a key forward he got destroyed.

There's a reason he failed to poll top 10 in our B&F

Thats why - and here is the revelation - he won't have to straight away. We have Frost and OMac, as well as Hibberd for mediums and Jetta for smalls.

We brought in a bloke who is amazing at intercepting to intercept. Who knew.

 

[Vhaluus]

Thats why - and here is the revelation - he won't have to straight away. We have Frost and OMac, as well as Hibberd for mediums and Jetta for smalls.

We brought in a bloke who is amazing at intercepting to intercept. Who knew.

Have you actually looked at the Crows defensive personnel? He wasn't exactly lacking for support, better quality support than he'll get at the Demons.

 

[LeverPuller]

Have you actually looked at the Crows defensive personnel? He wasn't exactly lacking for support, better quality support than he'll get at the Demons.

I have. I'm also very aware that defenders peel and rotate in-game so that they aren't always on the same opponent.

Lever has flaws in his game, yes, but he is a 21 year old KPD. Melbourne have just watched another 21 year old KPD turn from trash to a pretty good player in half a season. I'll back Jake in.

 

[Vhaluus]

I have. I'm also very aware that defenders peel and rotate in-game so that they aren't always on the same opponent.

Lever has flaws in his game, yes, but he is a 21 year old KPD. Melbourne have just watched another 21 year old KPD turn from trash to a pretty good player in half a season. I'll back Jake in.

Cool, well good luck

Hope he works out for you.

 

[Higgs Boson]

Surely you're not serious.

No I was never Serious, Toumpass2Mouth.

And don’t call him Shirley

 

[Scythe94]

Cool, well good luck

Hope he works out for you.

Bye now

 

[jo172]

Only one of those players was an All Australian at 21. You guys have drafted well in the past, need to keep it up.

Brodie Smith, Daniel Talia and Matt Crouch were all AA at 21.

 

[Sanders]

Lever didnt have a big year? Do i need to back back through this year in BigFooty at all the Adelaide fans telling us hes going to be the next Rance?

Go ahead and don’t overlook all the ones saying he’s nothing at all like Rance.

You’ll find them from me and others from the beginning of the year. He’s Easton wood not Rance

Doesn’t mean he can’t or won’t be good for you, but don’t expect a key defender that’s all