Be Patient with Lever

[DV8 2,271]

2 hours ago, Ouch! said:

I'm not concerned just yet. Lever, and our other backs just need time to gel and work as a unit. You hear each and every team refer to their defense as a team within a team and it takes time to get to know each other, build trust etc.

Look at Geelong, they are struggling in 2018 without Lonergan and Mackie. Richmond have a solid defensive unit, but it's taken them a couple of years to get it right with Grimes, Astbury, Rance and co. 

Our backs are still learning this, OMac is really only starting his second season as a 'regular'. Frost is still learning the caper, and whilst Jetta, Hibberd and co are experienced they just need time together. Lever isn't any different. It's probably one of the reasons why I think we are still learning the caper in 2018. I expect us to make finals, but I still think that it will be another year before we are a contender for the premiership (although I don't mind if the 2018 team proves me wrong!!)

 

you also here of mature recruits that they have to learn the way we play at this club .........!  all clubs will have they're ways.

 

at 22yrs Lever is still just learning the caper of AFL, and his body is still growing.

He may well turn into a real key tall. instead of a floater.  Then he would be capable of all defender skills.

 

And I still think he could be a mobile CHF.  the type we wanted watts to be...  but who had no real go in his armory when with us.

[Ruffles 356]

I think it's important to remember how young Lever is.

He spent his first few years in the AFL learning and developing in the 3rd tall / intercept defender role. We know how well he developed in this role.

Since joining Melbourne he's spent more time in a one on one / key defensive role, though we're only 3 rounds in. It takes time to learn and develop in new roles, not to mention adjust to new team mates and game plans.

I know in a few years time I'd like a defender to be capable in a number of roles and maybe this is what Goodwin is doing. Lever is an intelligent, talented player and future leader type and I'm stoked that he's now ours.

Remember Rance's first 4 - 6 years at Richmond? He was pretty much their #1 whipping boy. He has now developed into one of the top defenders in the AFL but this did not happen overnight. From memory it wasn't until he was around 24 that he really began hitting his straps. I'm not suggesting Lever will be Rance, just pointing out that it can take time for players to mature and develop.

We have a quality player here and when we look back in 10 years time we'll be glad we managed to trade him in.

[Sir Why You Little 37,310]

22 hours ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/jake-lever-adding-new-dimension-to-melbournes-defence-says-teammate-neville-jetta/news-story/cae88833a283c5785af2cc0a51e1faf6

In that article, Jetta talks about Lever's role/impact.  Of course he will be upbeat but I found this significant:

"...Lever finally showed glimpses of his best form in Melbourne’s 37-point win over North Melbourne on Saturday...He racked up 20 disposals and took six marks, re-finding his voice to marshal and organise ...[the] Demons backline".  Jetta said:  “The way he’s able to see the game and help blokes around him...". 

Therein are the 'intangibles' that supporters, commentators etc not on the field cannot see/hear and will never see/hear so its a bit rich judging him from afar. 

For now, Lever has a job to learn and kudos to him for how he is applying himself to the craft of one-on-one defending.  In time he will become our backline general.  I reckon one of Lewis' jobs is to teach Lever everything he knows about defence structures, tempo, positioning etc etc as each game unfolds.

I will go with Goodwin - give Lever 6-8 weeks before judging.  

SWYL is not worried about Lever at all

give him 6 months to settle in to the new team, long as he is comfortable playing by September. 

New State. New Club.  New Team mates, who all have different traits to what he played with before. 

Mr. Jetta isn’t worried. 

Some of the comments on this thread are comedy gold

We all know Jake Lever can play top line footy, opposition coaches target him...

[TGR 1,367]

On 4/4/2018 at 10:29 PM, TGR said:

MFC blinked unnecessarily and sold the farm in a super-draft year. 

Heard Dal Santo on MEN say yesterday that it was the first time the draft kid team beat an established VFL (North Reserves) side.

Dal Santo mentioned that there will be 10 bone-fide number 1 picks in the super-draft coming up.

[Jaded No More 68,975]

On 11/04/2018 at 7:21 PM, Dr. Gonzo said:

He's 22. He's still 2 or 3 years off his peak. Maybe we should give him more than 3 games before writing him off hey 

Nope. He is hopeless and so is every player on our list currently aged 22 who hasn’t won a Brownlow. I say we need to bottom out and rebuild again. 

[KingDingAling 3,758]

On 4/4/2018 at 10:29 PM, TGR said:

I am not stupid enough to get too down on a bloke that has had 2 average games; or get too up when a bloke has had 2 good ones in a row.

But I will stick with my original view in Oct/Nov that the MFC blinked unnecessarily and sold the farm in a super-draft year.  Even if he finishes top 5 B&F for 5 years running, I won' t change my opinion.  He was going nowhere bar Melbourne; and we bid as if we were 4th in-line

It was a lot to give up for a bloke who doesn't even man the oppositions best forward. Adelaide fans were right when they were saying Melbourne are selling the farm for a third up intercept defender. At this point I would try giving Lever a run in the midfield.

[DV8 2,271]

46 minutes ago, Jaded said:

Nope. He is hopeless and so is every player on our list currently aged 22 who hasn’t won a Brownlow. I say we need to bottom out and rebuild again. 

Dress them up, and auction the lot of them, Jaded ?

 

... oughta get a few packs of teddy bear biscuits for arvo tea then, for this lot.

[deelete my account 1,194]

5 hours ago, TGR said:

Heard Dal Santo on MEN say yesterday that it was the first time the draft kid team beat an established VFL (North Reserves) side.

Dal Santo mentioned that there will be 10 bone-fide number 1 picks in the super-draft coming up.

Thats fine. But we should be asking how good pick 18 will be? Probably a talent that would be in the 10-16 range of our best in 3-4 years time. Big deal.

Edited April 12, 2018 by Doodle Dee

[DV8 2,271]

1 hour ago, Doodle Dee said:

Thats fine. But we should be asking how good pick 18 will be? Probably a talent that would be in the 10-16 range of our best in 3-4 years time. Big deal.

NO, the Crows should be asking how good P18 will be... 

 

Because we would already have a strong idea about how our 2017 P10 recruit is looking, by now.

[CityDee 738]

On 09/04/2018 at 1:02 PM, Dr. Gonzo said:

I've read somewhere that Adelaide Oval has narrow pockets (ie when you're standing on the boundary to have a shot at goal the goal face is wider than at other grounds. This is the opposite of Subiaco which had deep pockets and made shots from there much harder). I wonder if this had an effect of making it easier to zone off in defence and get to contests quicker. Obviously being able to read the play is necessary as well but playing in a wider defensive 50 may be having an impact.

I think his intercepts were ok last game but think the different ground and his spatial awareness with kicking may be an issue . 

The crows would often kick from intercepts and usually had a spare 20-30 m away or room for someone like a lynch on a long lead to the wing . North covered us well on transition and forced lever into a perfect kick situation on the mcg not easy but he can and will . 

[Lucifers Hero 40,524]

Came across this table in an article about Weitering vis a vis his contemporaries after each had played 45 games. 

 

Green = very good, Red = very poor. 

Lever played his 45th game around the middle of 2017 so stats are still current. 

Lever's weaknesses are Pressure Points, Tackles and especially one-on-one contest losses ie those things that require close work on the opp player/contest. 

He is an elite interceptor but not yet an elite defender.  He will be when he overcomes those three weaknesses.  I have no doubt he will.

 

Edited October 21, 2022 by Lucifers Hero

[Engorged Onion 10,224]

16 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Came across this table in an article about Weitering vis a vis his contemporaries after each had played 45 games. 

Green = very good, Red = very poor. 

Lever played his 45th game around the middle of 2017 so stats are still current. 

Lever's weaknesses are Pressure Points, Tackles and especially one-on-one contest losses ie those things that require close work on the opp player/contest. 

He is an elite interceptor but not yet an elite defender.  He will be when he overcomes those three weaknesses.  I have no doubt he will.

 

great find @Lucifer's Hero

[Adam The God 30,614]

On 4/11/2018 at 9:58 PM, Dr. Gonzo said:

Plenty are. Can't play one on one. Not worth what we paid. Is struggling on the bigger ground (MCG). Poor disposal. Etc etc

Exactly. And he's a beautiful kick. He'll be fine. A great acquisition. His acquisition will pay dividends. 

[Willmoy1947 4,198]

Did Adelaide lose to Collingwood because they didn't have Lever in the side last night? Or were they just hopeless....

[Big Carl 333]

Way out of touch early in this game!

Needs a spell at Casey.

[Perago Validus 164]

Missing kicks, fumbling, dropping marks, running over the ball, it's been a horrible start. To add insult we spend so much time trying to get him free poor Hibbo has lost the role that made him All Australian. 

[Jibroni 5,035]

Just now, Perago Validus said:

Missing kicks, fumbling, dropping marks, running over the ball, it's been a horrible start. To add insult we spend so much time trying to get him free poor Hibbo has lost the role that made him All Australian. 

I'll second that, he has been porridge  today 

[Chook 15,023]

He's a taller version of Jack Grimes. And no, that's not a complement.

[Billy 2,563]

1 minute ago, Jibroni said:

I'll second that, he has been porridge  today 

I’ve lost patience after 4 games, he needs to Bev dropped

Twice he couldn’t kill the ball out of bounds or through the points, he can’t bend over &  he’s an atrocious kick

Hell come good, but needs to be dropped 

[Adzman 2,154]

God I hope his contact has incentives and is not all guaranteed money......

[DSP 1,488]

Wrong thread

Edited April 15, 2018 by DSP

[DeeZee 7,445]

I just can’t believe how terrible he is since coming to Melbourne WTF?

[Dr.D 1,771]

i agree. drop him. but not before jordan lewis. 

[deeko 952]

He took a couple grabs today, put his body on the line and showed a couple nice moves but he still had some absolute howlers. He was better however.

He and all our defenders (bar OMac) look continually confused. I think they are having to work overtime as the ball keeps coming in quickly over our putrid press and they keep getting beaten one on one.

Omac seems to have a nice easy “punch and defend or mark if you can” strategy and doesn’t worry about rebound or intercepting. He did this role really well.

Jake, along with Hibberd and Jetta, are looking lost and have all gone backwards from last year. 

[buck_nekkid 6,068]

Time is up .  Patience has run out.  Prove himself at Casey.