Discussion on Pick #14 - Jake Lever

[NTRabbit]

Once again, for about the millionth time, we're not questioning the player, we're questioning whether or not he was the right type of player to select with our first round pick, which is also caught up in a question over our decision to downgrade that pick.

 

[Doctor B]

For me he was the right type of player. Our key defender stocks are clearly our biggest need.
Talia. Gun
Hartigan. Only played a handful of games
Siggins. Lot of development needed
Otten. Knee reco, year out
Shaw. Permanently injured
Pods. Not a great defender, old.
Getting an aggressive, attacking, skillful under age captain of The Vic Metro team who can play CHB was a huge need.

 

[Paladin]

So what we're saying now is we spent our first round draft pick on a third tall defender who can maybe pinch hit in the middle for a few minutes but probably not?

Colour me impressed.

Haha so when he turns out like Hodge/Gibson I'm sure you will still be upset.

Can you also please remind us on how average you think the Crouch brothers are for future reference.

 

[NikkiNoo]

I can't believe people are questioning Lever!

He's 18yo coming off a major knee injury, just racked up almost 20 possessions in shocking conditions, he's a clear leader, and he plays a position that we desperately need!

Sure he's not trying to play 'body on body' with forwards…I'd guess he would be giving up about 25kg on Alleway for starters.

For mine, it has been an impressive start and I'm very glad he's on our list (Cockatoo was my 2nd hope for our pick!)

My issue wasn't the body on body, it was that he wasn't close enough to close and spoil at times. That's a knowledge thing that will come, but completely agree with the rest of your points.

 

[Elite Crow]

So what we're saying now is we spent our first round draft pick on a third tall defender who can maybe pinch hit in the middle for a few minutes but probably not?

Colour me impressed.

I think you are twisting what CC posted, I interpreted it as being he is too creative to just be a lock down defender.

Chad Cornes was a great player because he left his player and played the third man up very well. If Lever turns out to be a similar player we will be laughing.

 

[NTRabbit]

I think you are twisting what CC posted, I interpreted it as being he is too creative to just be a lock down defender.

Chad Cornes was a great player because he left his player and played the third man up very well. If Lever turns out to be a similar player we will be laughing.

Can... can you just pick someone who is less of a deadset prick to make that comparison?

 

[Elite Crow]

Can... can you just pick someone who is less of a deadset prick to make that comparison?

Player type not personality. If Lever ever mentions the phrase dream final I will disown him

 

[Doctor B]

Can... can you just pick someone who is less of a deadset prick to make that comparison?

Bock

 

[Red mist]

Bock

Johnson from Freo.

 

[Glenno23]

Johnson from Freo.

He'll be better than Johnson

PW says we'll really be challenging in 2017 and by that time, Lever will hopefully have about 40 or so + games to his name..... Seems an ok pick to me

 

[Red mist]

He'll be better than Johnson

PW says we'll really be challenging in 2017 and by that time, Lever will hopefully have about 40 or so + games to his name..... Seems an ok pick to me

He may be better than Johnson. I think he's a good comparison. I agree there's a long term plan. Injuries may see him blooded sooner than later. You seen that list? We are stretched.

 

[Glenno23]

He may be better than Johnson. I think he's a good comparison. I agree there's a long term plan. Injuries may see him blooded sooner than later. You seen that list? We are stretched.

Yeah, he'll play a couple of games this year you'd think. 3-4 this year

18 next year

22 year after

 

[cmndstab]

Once again, for about the millionth time, we're not questioning the player, we're questioning whether or not he was the right type of player to select with our first round pick, which is also caught up in a question over our decision to downgrade that pick.

I'm not sure there is any position on our list we have greater need in than tall defender.

 

[FantasticShirt]

I'm not sure there is any position on our list we have greater need in than tall defender.

Completely agree.

 

[azza77]

Once again, for about the millionth time, we're not questioning the player, we're questioning whether or not he was the right type of player to select with our first round pick, which is also caught up in a question over our decision to downgrade that pick.

Crows have always taken best available talent with their first pick.

 

[Cap]

I'm not sure there is any position on our list we have greater need in than tall defender.

This is the Crows board, must not allow fact to get in the way of a good rant

 

[Redleg Crow]

I'm not sure there is any position on our list we have greater need in than tall defender.

A point that might become very clear next week when we line up against Schultz, Westhoff and Ryder...

 

[Geoffa32]

Once again, for about the millionth time, we're not questioning the player, we're questioning whether or not he was the right type of player to select with our first round pick, which is also caught up in a question over our decision to downgrade that pick.

Our biggest need was a quality KPD. We only have one.

People say we lack pace. With better positioning and ball movement this has barely been an issue in the last three games.

A long kick is qucker than a.run and carry.

 

[headache1]

He wasn't close enough to Alleway for most of the game so... He was well and truly giving him too much latitude. Not fussed about those possesions high up on the wing, but within the 50 arc wasn't good. I think his thinking was that he couldn't go body to body with Alleway so was staying away to not allow Alleway to use his superior bulk, but he wasn't quite close enough to effect a punch. On a dry day I think the goal difference might be a bit higher. To be fair one of the Alleway's goals was from a mark that Lever fully had possession of before Alleway came through the pack. In the third quarter he got some help in that Martin was sent back to be the loose man in defence in front of Alleway mostly.

There was a bit of argy bargy at one stage and I did like that Lever noticed the ump was right next to him so he put his arms down and was slightly daring the glenelg player to hit him right in front of the ump. The ump quickly bounced the ball instead to stop the push and shove.

Lever's second passage of play for the day resulted in a holding the ball against him. He managed to get around two/three glenelg players with some really nice evasion but should have given the ball off earlier and got caught by the fourth player. He really does back himself in and generally makes some pretty good decisions. He was full on being the director of the backlines as well.

Haha, love it! Considering Jake was in the mix to be selected to represent Australia in boxing at the 2012 Olympic Games, whoever it was from the Bays is probably lucky the umpire was around.

Great to hear he's a marshaller of the troops though. To have the confidence to do that at his age is a rare thing.

 

[betterthanu]

Haha, love it! Considering Jake was in the mix to be selected to represent Australia in boxing at the 2012 Olympic Games, whoever it was from the Bays is probably lucky the umpire was around.

Great to hear he's a marshaller of the troops though. To have the confidence to do that at his age is a rare thing.

In the trial game he was screaming his head off at everyone telling them what to do. In his 1st game for the club and his 1st game in 18 months or so. Bloke has no shortage of confidence.

 

[Roo Lives Again]

For me he was the right type of player. Our key defender stocks are clearly our biggest need.
Talia. Gun
Hartigan. Only played a handful of games
Siggins. Lot of development needed
Otten. Knee reco, year out
Shaw. Permanently injured
Pods. Not a great defender, old.
Getting an aggressive, attacking, skillful under age captain of The Vic Metro team who can play CHB was a huge need.

+1. We absolutely needed to draft a defensive tall. Judging by his tape he will be special ala Harry Taylor. Just needs time.

 

[headache1]

In the trial game he was screaming his head off at everyone telling them what to do. In his 1st game for the club and his 1st game in 18 months or so. Bloke has no shortage of confidence.

I guess that's why he was captain of Vic Metro when he was playing as an under aged player.

 

[Cleric]

Lever was a very highly rated jr. The concern is his knee, but thats the reason he was there at our pick.
If he didnt have a knee recon he would have gone top 7.
Having said that the second pick from the same draft has just gone down with a knee. At least with Lever his rehab is already done and we wont have to wait a year to see him play.
He really isnt ready for AFL yet in my eyes, and if we dont get any injuries he most likely wont play this year.
I would have taken Oscar McDonald with our third pick as he could well be an excellent defender.

 

[Stiffy_18]

He was drafted as a defender but I remember listening to an interview after we drafted him and they said the reason we rated him so highly was he was very versatile and could play as a CHF and had done so alot as a jr. I remember they said he had kicked 10 goals from CHF. I remember because it moved a bit when I heard that.

And we said the same thing about Phil Davis but we were never going to play him at CHF. At the time we drafted Talia we had, Walker, Tippett, McKernan and Gunston on the list pencilled in for the forward line and we had aging key defenders. Talia was targeted as a defender. I have no doubt that he would make a decent key forward and he is an underrated marker of the ball but he is far to valuable in defence.

 

[Glenno23]

My big call for this week:

Lever to debut in the Showdown