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Jake Lever.. Can someone explain??

dazzledavey36
in Melbourne Demons

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7 minutes ago, binman said:

This.

I reckon we paid overs but that is the very definition of a moot point now.

And besides we recruited him to plays a specific role. One that needs other players doing their job to make it work (which is one reason we paid overs as his success depends on other factors). As was the case at the crows.

So his value is dependent on getting the other pieces of the puzzle right. 

On that i really don't understand how Smith fits. Lever needs a player like omac or petty in the side. May is not enough, particularly because they have asked him to slim down, play higher and be more offensive than he was at gc. 

If the plan is to get Lever to intercept by finding the right match up for him then I understand the desire for someone like Oscar in the team.

But if the plan is to get Lever to intercept by allowing him to patrol the half back line and dictate to the opposition then Smith's speed, endurance and versatility is a better fit.

I think teams have smartened up significantly on intercept defenders. The Crows just chucked Lever on the last dangerous half forward who will often roll up to the stoppage or get stuck in no mans land and then Lever would sit a kick down the line and take easy marks. The days of getting those match ups are over, teams will make an interceptor accountable and drag them back to goal or move the ball around them. To create that intercepting player you have to have versatile defenders capable of swapping opponents and covering for each other.

Of course to make that all work you then need a lot of pressure up the ground.

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    On 6/13/2020 at 8:49 PM, binman said:

    I'm amazed they abandoned the experiment of him up forward, which is were he was going to play last year. I mean he kicked a bag in that practice game he got injured in and looked good.

    Defenders have to know the game more than he does. Forwards too of course but up forward he can use his leap t fly for marks and the defenders have to try and spoil him. If they succeed the ball hits the deck where kozzie can get it. He is trick match up with his athleticism and his average field kicking skills and decsion making are noy exposed as much

    At this stage we have no effective KFs.  Anything's worth a try.  Direct swap for T-Mac maybe

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    17 hours ago, Rusty Nails said:

    At this stage we have no effective KFs.  Anything's worth a try.  Direct swap for T-Mac maybe

    Now now boys the FD knows what it is doing!

    What did I say???

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    6 hours ago, Stein9193 said:

    You're off your rocker

    Valuable contribution bro

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    1 hour ago, dazzledavey36 said:

    Valuable contribution bro

    Glad the master of one line jargon contributions approves!

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    Needs a good run at it, has footy smarts but he has the body of a first year skinny kid.

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    3 minutes ago, DeeZee said:

    Needs a good run at it, has footy smarts but he has the body of a first year skinny kid.

    But he has the moustache of a senior constable with 30 years experience in the force! 

    Edited by John Demonic

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    • Haha 3

    Really needs 6 games in a row alongside May. I was going to give Lever this season before assessing the trade again with with the way it's going is there going to be any point in that? 

    Most of us were stoked when we got him but most of us also raised an eyebrow at the price we paid. 

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    Jake Levers strength is as a third tall defender who peels off and intercepts. 

    Not an easy thing to do when May is the only other legitimate key defender we're playing.

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    On 6/13/2020 at 10:45 PM, titan_uranus said:

    The problem with Lever isn't his ability. It's his role within our defensive unit overall.

    Like almost every player in the league, he has weaknesses, and they get exploited when:

    1. 2-3 of Smith, May, Jetta and Lever jump at the same ball;
    2. May and others shank kicks coming outside of the back 50, opening us up on a quick rebound;
    3. our mids/forwards don't put the requisite level of pressure on the opposition, meaning they get to pick and choose who they're kicking to.

    Lever is essential to holding our defensive unit together but when the other cogs break down, he does too. He isn't very good one-on-one but if we're playing well, he doesn't end up one-on-one very often and the ball isn't coming in to our opposition forwards' advantage.

    He can do better, but there are much more significant issues in our midfield and forward line than there is with Lever.

    Sorry, but that’s rubbish. Lever doesn’t hold our defence together. He never held any defence together. He can play very well if we play 7 defenders and he is the loose man. That was his role in a very good  Adelaide  side,  which played 7 defenders including Talia and Brown who played on the key forwards . When it was rumoured that we were hoping to get him, Mick Malthouse, at that time a great supporter of MFC, commented that he had never seen Lever best an opponent man on man. On this occasion Malthouse is correct. If we want to see Lever at his best, let him play as a loose man, on no-one . May and OMac on the key forwards. If we can afford to do that Id be very pleased 

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    On 6/15/2020 at 10:33 AM, Luther said:

    He absolutely needs to be dropped, either Weed or Petty will offer more at the moment. Even Brown. But I'm not up with what's happening at Casey... will there be seconds games for McDonald to play in and find some form? 

    Bugger me!!! Someone wants to play Hore this week and  You  want to play Petty.

    both are injured for long periods

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    Delist this guy please. Absolutely insulting to see frost shown the door while he racks in the money spudding it up

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    53 minutes ago, Elegt said:

    Delist this guy please. Absolutely insulting to see frost shown the door while he racks in the money spudding it up

    Seems to me he's going from potato to pumpkin.

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    Two 1st round draft picks for this bloke...

    Let that sink in.

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    11 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

    Two 1st round draft picks for this bloke...

    Let that sink in.

    The worst thing is most demons fans thought it was a good deal and continued to say that 3 seasons in

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    17 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

    Two 1st round draft picks for this bloke...

    Let that sink in.

    Yes. It was a risk at the time and now looks like a poor decision 

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    The picks we gave up for Lever and May make me sick.

    Time for Mahoney to move on and whoever else was responsible for mortgaging the clubs future for these hack  players.

    Edited by TheKozzieExperience

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    I thought at the time he was a great acquisition. But he is appalling at the moment.

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    27 minutes ago, spirit of norm smith said:

    Yes. It was a risk at the time and now looks like a poor decision 

    Always looked like a poor decision IMO. Injury prone and it was clear at Adelaide he could only impact when he had no opponent.

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    Have said all along two first rounders was overs. He was out of contract and wanted to leave. We had them bent over a barrel and somehow still coughed up overs.

    I don’t think he’s been as bad as made out on here though. He fluffed a few things today, but he also showed courage in the air and some great rebounding skills. Not our worst, but definitely not worth what we paid for him pick-wise.

    The trades done now though so we should just back him to build form.

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    2 minutes ago, Lord Travis said:

    Have said all along two first rounders was overs. He was out of contract and wanted to leave. We had them bent over a barrel and somehow still coughed up overs.

    I don’t think he’s been as bad as made out on here though. He fluffed a few things today, but he also showed courage in the air and some great rebounding skills. Not our worst, but definitely not worth what we paid for him pick-wise.

    The trades done now though so we should just back him to build form.

    Trade.

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