If he chooses to go home and chooses a club all I hope for is the best trade possible. Would love him to stay, however it may also provide the club a great opportunity. At some level we'll be restricted by what the other club has to offer in regard to players willing to come to Adelaide and draft picks available.
Ultimately the club has to act in the clubs and the teams best interest. I don't think now that either on a short or long term basis that sending a player to the PSD is in our best interest.
It could be in years to come.
If we get fair value then yes trade but if we are going to get shafted why not send him to the PSD (or threaten too). Two interstate clubs have the chance to pick him up.When push comes to shove would Lever prefer to stay with us who are in a premiership window or take his chances with Brisbane and Gold Coast.
If those interstate clubs make noises to take him Lever then knows he needs to go through the whole saga again to get to the Vic team of his choice.
Even if he takes on the bluff it's a lot of teams that have to pass in the PSD before he gets to his teams of choice.
Dangerfield was a RFA and a completely different case in terms of rules.
Lever is a second year player and doesn't have the options or goodwill Danger did.
Yes maybe we should have done this with Gunston and not let him get to the team of his choice.
Making a stand may well be in the best interest of our club in years to come. We are always a target at present.
Even if Jake leaves we need to get the best deal possible from
any club willing to negotiate. Jake can't be on the front foot and dictating which club it is.
Sure players that have nominated clubs have got there but this year the cards are stacked a little differently.
Jake may become a hostile player because of playing hard ball, so what. We actually have the players at the moment to cover his loss, yes there might be some pain but this could send a signal to the other teams and recently drafted kids.