Huge news that just popped up out of nowhere. Though Max is our captain by title and spiritual leader, I see Lever as our main onfield leader. His voice and onfield coaching is critical to this teams success. Great news he’s extended without fuss!

Brilliant news. Lever could easily be Captain of this club has leadership in spades. 

The news I didn’t know I needed 

Well done Rick! Captain in waiting. 

Nice one future Skip! Should see out his career as a Dee 🙂

He's only 27?!  Seems far more mature than that.  Jesus, the things I was doing at 27...

...very lucky to have him at the club, embodies everything we want to be.

Really hoping we can hold onto him in leadership and growth capacities in the future.

One the best acquisitions the club ha made.

Crows fans are still seething that he left :)

Thank you Jake Lever and MFC great to secure another of our Champions, Jake is a massive contributor to our culture and success.!!!

💪💪💪

  On 03/09/2023 at 23:34, Jibroni said:

One the best acquisitions the club ha made.

Crows fans are still seething that he left :)

The melts on this website that we overpaid for him. Classic Demonland. 

This is wonderful news!

Jake Lever definitely seems to be Captain material too with his leadership qualities.

Fingers crossed Jake Lever has an excellent finals campaign! 🤞

GO DEMONS!!! 🔴🔵👹

SEN gave me a heart attack about this, I thought he got injured at training "Big news, Melbournes Jake Lever will be...."

Deserves some love.

Great to have lever on board.

  On 04/09/2023 at 01:40, Jaded No More said:

The melts on this website that we overpaid for him. Classic Demonland. 

A magnificant  powerfall and attractive man  beauty !!!

I love Jake - but I must admit - I don't see leadership stamped all over him. Waving your arms about and shouting isn't necessarily the peak leadership experience. If Max retired today, Viney would be my man.

 I have really noticed that Tracc and Gus are displaying a lot of leadership traits on and off the field this year.!!!

I saw the title

Big Rick Energy

lol

Lever is such a gun, loved Cross, Bernie, Hibbo, Melksham, Garlett and Jordon coming to the club, but when we got Lever in 2017 it was a marker that the club had turned a corner, we weren't getting a star on the wain or tainted, we were getting an up and coming player who was a hot property. It clearly meant the perception of Melbourne as a place to go had changed. Since then May, Langdon who are elite have joined, but 2017 and Lever arriving at the club really made me think the club's fortunes had changed.

Jake spoke very well in this interview, very positive and vey humble.  I wonder if he and Steven May have direct input into backline selection decisions?

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/1422909/qualifying-final-media-conference-jake-lever

 

  On 03/09/2023 at 22:51, Lord Travis said:

Huge news that just popped up out of nowhere. Though Max is our captain by title and spiritual leader, I see Lever as our main onfield leader. His voice and onfield coaching is critical to this teams success. Great news he’s extended without fuss!

I think you are overestimating the Lever influence. Sure Jake is the No 1 King down back with plenty of help from Maysie.

But To say he he has the same influence in the workings and strategy onfield in our  Forward line is overstating his role. And that is a good thing. It doesn't make sense that Jake is the Captain of our forward line. I regard Jake as one of our best  players and leaders and ge may be our next Captain after Gawny. 

He does a fine job down back and that's enough to ensure control there.

Great that he is with us another 4 years and let's go out and beat those Pies on Thursday. 

 

Great clubman. Culture builder.  Worth every penny and some.

 

  On 05/09/2023 at 03:20, old55 said:

Jake spoke very well in this interview, very positive and vey humble.  I wonder if he and Steven May have direct input into backline selection decisions?

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/1422909/qualifying-final-media-conference-jake-lever

 

Fascinating. I wonder if that would be unusual. The tail wagging the dog, but in a good way. Player empowerment.

@Engorged Onion, from a psychological perspective, would this be a risky paradigm to set up?

  On 05/09/2023 at 12:10, Binmans PA said:

Fascinating. I wonder if that would be unusual. The tail wagging the dog, but in a good way. Player empowerment.

@Engorged Onion, from a psychological perspective, would this be a risky paradigm to set up?

Mrs EO, has worked for the state government for many years, whereby any given project will ultimately have a process of 'community consultation' - whereby the community is requested to provide input and feedback. This input is openly and empathically taken on board.... then the government just do what they were originally going to do anyway 😆

Perhaps this is the philosophy.

1. Pros of Player Empowerment:

   • Ownership & Responsibility: Giving players a say might make them feel a deeper sense of responsibility for their performance and the team's results. If they are part of the decision-making process, they may feel more accountable and invested.
   • Boost in Morale & Confidence: Recognising that they have a voice can uplift the players' spirits, leading to a boost in confidence. This could potentially translate into better on-field performance.
   • Enhanced Team Dynamics: Players, through daily training, may have insights into who's in form, who’s synergising well, etc. Their input could lead to better team dynamics on the field.

2. Potential Risks:

   • Bias & Favoritism: Emotions and personal relationships could come into play, leading to selections based on popularity or friendships rather than form or strategic needs.
   • Pressure & Stress: The added responsibility might not sit well with every player. Some might feel added pressure knowing they had a say in team selection, especially if the results don't go as planned.
   • Undermining Coaching Staff: This could blur the lines between coaching staff and players. If players frequently go against a coach’s wishes, it could erode the authority and respect that the coach holds.
   • Overthinking & Analysis : Players might get bogged down in overthinking their choices, which could detract from their primary focus – playing the game.

For me,  player empowerment is a noble idea and could provide various benefits, it's not without its potential pitfalls. Balancing the two – perhaps through a hybrid model where players provide input but final decisions rest with the coaching staff – might be a more practical approach... a la what I said above.

Loves the club