Jordan Lewis used to be a feared inside midfielder in his prime at Hawthorn, but his time at Melbourne has mostly been spent in defence. Last week he spent a lot more time at centre bounces than some other highly-rated mids at the Dees, in particular Angus Brayshaw. If Lewis stays in the engine room this week he may be there to play a tagging role, with Elliot Yeo and Luke Shuey big targets for that treatment in some games this season. Lewis himself looms as an interesting underpriced play in daily fantasy if you think he might win some ball himself like in the old days.
Jordan Lewis used to be a feared inside midfielder in his prime at Hawthorn, but his time at Melbourne has mostly been spent in defence. Last week he spent a lot more time at centre bounces than some other highly-rated mids at the Dees, in particular Angus Brayshaw. If Lewis stays in the engine room this week he may be there to play a tagging role, with Elliot Yeo and Luke Shuey big targets for that treatment in some games this season. Lewis himself looms as an interesting underpriced play in daily fantasy if you think he might win some ball himself like in the old days.
Lewis and clock
Despite personal output that has dwindled over time, Melbourne's coaches kept picking Jordan Lewis last season on their finals run, perhaps remembering the 0-3 run when they missed him the previous year. His role shifted from wing to defence in midseason, leading to a 13-point increase in scoring. He failed to reach 20 disposals only once in that defensive role, against the Suns when he had little to do, and his ratio shifted from 11:15 to 12:11. It has not so much been a cliff as a gentle schuss down the piste for Lewis, though if you ask Demon fans they have had reason to get a little piste off with him for some gargantuan clangers at times. It's not hard to foresee a scenario where the ex-Hawk spends some time in the VFL, especially given the arrival of Steven May which could push Michael Hibberd to a HBF and Lewis to Casey. J-Lew has some downside risk, but should be drafted.
The rebirth of J-Lew
Of the group of Hawthorn stars who were left and/or pushed out late in their careers, Jordan Lewis should have had the most to give, still 30 years of age when he joined Melbourne. He dropped around 15 fantasy points on his previous form, though, shifting inside slightly with more handball but not making up for it with more tackles. An early suspension was poorly timed as the Demons went 0-3 without him. You can't say Lewis has hit the cliff yet, as his disposal count was the same as in 2016. What changed was his role, as he more often waited behind packs like Brendon Goddard at Essendon. The demise of third man up in ruck also removed one of his favourite plays. He should be a solid scorer going into season 14, with most of the risk on the downside pushing his value towards middle rounds.
