The most important reasons we should pick Lever, IMO:

1. I haven't said that I like him.

2. Picket Fence wants McCartin.

3. Someone somewhere thinks he might be able to play in the midfield some day.

4. Is most likely to be our first ever 18 year old captain.

5. His mum or dad cook a mean dinner. (Or Roosy's wife cooks a shocking one. )

6. They call him Snake.

7. Has a bit of Jack Grimes in him. In that he is a lovely articulate fella... whether he can play footy is really a secondary thought.

I find it strange that many advocate picking another skinny kid, in Lever.....ala Morton and Watts.

Give me the big lump of a lad in McCartin any day of the week.

The biggest of facepalms.

Theres a big difference between Lever and watts/Morton

How do you know?

He is just a kid isn't he?

Wasn't Watts and Morton rated very highly as juniors as well?

How do you know?

He is just a kid isn't he?

Wasn't Watts and Morton rated very highly as juniors as well?

Watts and Morton were mentally weak and soft and weren't prepared to do the hard work. Even to this day we are still screaming for Watts to work hard.

Lever is an absolute driven and professional individual. His leadership and character is very highly rated . He is also an agro and grunt player that hates being beaten and will do everything to succeed as a top AFL player.

He is being compared to Luke Hodge in the way he drives the standards and works hard on and off the field. He is a leader that will command others to follow him.

He is just a kid isn't he?

give.me.fat.kids.

He is being compared to Luke Hodge in the way he drives the standards and works hard on and off the field. He is a leader that will command others to follow him.

funny this conversation should move to skinny vs solid kids and Luke Hodges name is mentioned.

When he was drafted his nickname was Luke Podge.

Watts and Morton were mentally weak and soft and weren't prepared to do the hard work. Even to this day we are still screaming for Watts to work hard.

Lever is an absolute driven and professional individual. His leadership and character is very highly rated . He is also an agro and grunt player that hates being beaten and will do everything to succeed as a top AFL player.

He is being compared to Luke Hodge in the way he drives the standards and works hard on and off the field. He is a leader that will command others to follow him.

No to mention he is an elite level boxer who apparently was considering going down that path instead of footy. I don't want to give fodder to the Watts bashers but i can't really see Jack (or Morton for that matter) in a boxing ring.

. I don't want to give fodder to the Watts bashers but i can't really see Jack (or Morton for that matter) in a boxing ring.

I can ....flat on their backs half consciously hearing someone counting to 10

I can ....flat on their backs half consciously hearing someone counting to 10

They'd never catch Morton in order to hit him - just ask Brendan Lade (with apologies to Morton, i know that GIF is not accurate, but jeez its funny).

the ability to mark the footy over others with arms that go up like giant testicles.

Are you channeling Jack Dyer or is this just a case of predictive texticles ?

I find it strange that many advocate picking another skinny kid, in Lever.....ala Morton and Watts.

Give me the big lump of a lad in McCartin any day of the week.

I don't believe that Lever can be considered a similar player to Morton or Watts. Lever is an underage boxing prodigy & I'd expect him to be just as hard at it as someone like Luke Hodge or our own Neville Jetta, who also has experience in Boxing. Morton & Watts are very timid & there is no evidence to suggest that Lever will play anything like that. If anything Lever will be the opposite.

I don't believe that Lever can be considered a similar player to Morton or Watts. Lever is an underage boxing prodigy & I'd expect him to be just as hard at it as someone like Luke Hodge or our own Neville Jetta, who also has experience in Boxing. Morton & Watts are very timid & there is no evidence to suggest that Lever will play anything like that. If anything Lever will be the opposite.

just putting it out there - I box and I win every fight I am in by a 100 metres.

Are you channeling Jack Dyer or is this just a case of predictive texticles ?

Unlike old Jack I did it completely and utterly on porpoise.

There will come a time, not too far away I fear that like old Jack I will be oblivious to the ever increasing faux pas.

Edited November 11, 201410 yr by jabberwocky

I find it strange that many advocate picking another skinny kid, in Lever.....ala Morton and Watts.

Give me the big lump of a lad in McCartin any day of the week.

How do you know?

He is just a kid isn't he?

Wasn't Watts and Morton rated very highly as juniors as well?

Lever was in contention for a spot on the boxing team at the London Olympics as a 16 year old. He may be tallish, but he's nothing like Morton or Watts. The kid is tough as hell.

Having nearly been picked to go to the London Olympics as a boxer in 2012, Lever has continued to put on the gloves two or three nights a week.

From THIS article.

Lever is an outright NO for me.

Talent wise no, I can rate three other draftees as higher.

Position wise no, large backmen can be picked up later in the draft - like ruckmen. We also have McDonald, Frost, Dunn, and Garland to cover that role.

2014 output (or lack of), an absolute no. Due to injury why risk him along with the above.

If we want to take a punt or risk on someone with prior injury it should be Cockatoo. If he played that one game on a consistent basis he'd be in everyone's top two or three equations. He's also a midfielder and more likely to succeed at the next level (injuries aside). I'm betting he'll be the one everyone complains about not picking.

But Lever.... an outright NO!

Would you be happy with Scott Pendlebury as he is similar height and supposedly similar style?

Would you be happy with Scott Pendlebury as he is similar height and supposedly similar style?

Do you really see Lever as a Pendlebury style midfielder. It's a nice dream but there's so little evidence for it.

I think if we take him it will be as a versatile backman who can play CHB, FB, rebounding player and intercept marker. If he then can be developed as a midfielder then great.

Lever is as big as Bontempelli who looks like making it as a midfielder, but even he was drafted as a roaming flanker type set to play as a follower but not really as inside midfielder.

We'd be mad drafting Lever as a midfielder. If we take him it's because we think he can be a special defender who has the ability of someone like Luke Hodge whilst playing at half back. Because he could be the 3rd best player in the draft if he's an All Australian in that role. I do some what agree that just a key defender with pick 3 without significant other features to his game could be reaching, but I can still support that if he's a gun. I'd rather Frawley than Sylvia for instance.

If we take him it's because we think he can be a special defender who has the ability of someone like Luke Hodge whilst playing at half back. Because he could be the 3rd best player in the draft if he's an All Australian in that role. I do some what agree that just a key defender with pick 3 without significant other features to his game could be reaching, but I can still support that if he's a gun. I'd rather Frawley than Sylvia for instance.

Roos has repeatedly been quoted saying that he wants a good quality rebounding HB. This guy could well be it.

Roos has repeatedly been quoted saying that he wants a good quality rebounding HB. This guy could well be it.

And he got one in Lumumba.

If Roos just wants a rebounding HB, then Laverde is the man. However, I'm guessing Roos also wants a leader with an excellent work ethic and mongrel, which sets Lever ahead.

Edited November 12, 201410 yr by Evans Above

I'm torn between Lever & Duggan for Pick 3.

If the Saints pull a shifty and take Brayshaw with Pick 1.

I would consider these two with our picks and pass on Petracca.

Just my gut feel...

Since I was tossing up who I would like at Pick 3 between Lever & Duggan.

I decided to toss a coin with first to three the winner.

Lever wins 3-1.

Not sure how close to the mark this is..but is a thought.

Weve been aligned with the notion of taking Lever for a while , but in my estimation it was with the pick garnered as change in a Tyson like deal, had that happened. I think weve always looked to grab Brayshaw and thought about Lever a tad later. In a sense the only question becomes...If Saints grab Petracca do we still follow the original script ?

Its quite fascinating even if it wasnt our own club.

St.kilda have the toughest decision IMO, so much pressure to nail that pick, at least we have 2 bites at the cherry. If they don't nail their pick and they leave themselves short up forward with Roo on his last legs they will regret it for a long time. If they go Petracca and he doesn't develop into anything more than Sylvia MKII while either 1 of Brayshaw or McCartin pass him then they'd be anchored to the bottom for a while.

From Brett Anderson on twitter:

Brett Anderson ‏@BrettAndersonIF 3m3 minutes ago

Jake Lever won't be heading to Dees at pick 3. Would have loved them to take him, but now GWS/Geel/Rich seem likely destinations. #AFLDraft

From Brett Anderson on twitter:

Brett Anderson ‏@BrettAndersonIF 3m3 minutes ago

Jake Lever won't be heading to Dees at pick 3. Would have loved them to take him, but now GWS/Geel/Rich seem likely destinations. #AFLDraft

Great news that we're passing up Lever!

Means we're more than likely going Brayshaw and McCartin.