Jake Lever was a big name recruit from Adelaide to Melbourne a fair few years ago now, but he has never lived up to the promise of being a consistent intercept machine like Jeremy McGovern or James Sicily. Defensive intercepts mostly happen when the midfield puts pressure on disposal inside 50, and that hasn't always been true of the Demons. He has started 2021 well, no doubt, and the return of Steven May this week gives a more comfortable structure up the defensive spine. With a 5-0 start there is plenty going right in Deeland, and Lever is one of them.
Jake Lever was a big name recruit from Adelaide to Melbourne a fair few years ago now, but he has never lived up to the promise of being a consistent intercept machine like Jeremy McGovern or James Sicily. Defensive intercepts mostly happen when the midfield puts pressure on disposal inside 50, and that hasn't always been true of the Demons. He has started 2021 well, no doubt, and the return of Steven May this week gives a more comfortable structure up the defensive spine. With a 5-0 start there is plenty going right in Deeland, and Lever is one of them.
Leave Lever be
Returning from an ACL injury, Jake Lever played out the final seven fixtures and produced similar fantasy output upon return, with a career high in marks per game and a career low average for tackles. Lever is enjoying an injury-free preseason and is expected to hit the ground running in his third year at the Dees. Never a dominant fantasy asset, there is little evidence to suggest that trend changes.
Skeevy, peeved Lever
An ACL rupture last June means Jake Lever won't be seen again in Melbourne colours until midseason in 2019. He passed the back baseline in three of ten full games for the Demons last season. Lever's role at Melbourne involved less intercept possessions, and the knee injury won't help with his leap when he returns. Leave him in the free agent pool.
Lever leaves forever
Jake Lever arrives at Melbourne FC with almost as much hype as Ron Barassi left it. His role at Adelaide in 2017 centred on intercepts as seventh defender, a stat he led the league in though he had half as many contested grabs as Jeremy McGovern so it was more about positioning than pack prowess. He did not get nearly as involved on the spread though, as he received the ball more often from the opposition than from teammates. Lever is one of those players whose exotic stats are usually going to be significantly more impressive than his basic stats, because it's not about accumulation but getting involved at precisely the right time to make a difference. At Melbourne he doesn't have Daniel Talia to work off, with Oscar McDonald and (probably) Sam Frost a significantly weaker spine than that of the Crows. Nevertheless, that's the role he will play and he will be picked in your draft in late rounds.
