Palace Dees

Are you serious?

I love that theory! Given I have played 0 games, I'm takin' 10 years off!!

The comparison was made to provide some background to the questions asked in my post, which you haven't answered. These are guys of the same age and physical size. Oscar has really only played the one year, 2016 - hence the comparison of that year only. Adelaide was the better side no doubt in 2016 but they finished 5th and we 11th with Melbourne conceding an average of just 9 points more per match, not quite the chasm you suggested. I'm afraid to tell you but statistics do matter, check out any coaches box on game day and you will see a lap top in front of most of the coaching staff. Check the 1/4 and 3/4 time breaks and you'll see white boards with the game numbers written all over them. The one stat you quoted is probably the only useless one. Being picked higher in a draft means nothing on game day as everyone on this forum can testify. Lever has copped his share of criticism, including from his own fans. Lever was a very promising junior (which is the likely reason he was played earlier than Oscar) but is what he has produced so far in his AFL career superior to Oscar - and is his upside greater? I know Oscar's game warts and all and I am seeing improvement. I am not yet convinced that he is not our Zac Dawson but I'm hopeful. What I was asking is what has Jake got, that people have seen, that think he is, or will be, a significantly better option.

He was sensational in the 3rd quarter yesterday. Put us in a winning position. I wish all of our players 'quiet days' are as good as his.

Not being a big Oscar fan (yet) I started to get caught up in the idea of upgrading to Jake Lever. Then I thought - well is it? Not watching other games very closely I thought I'd do a Footywire stats comparison for 2016. Looks as though we'd be paying a lot for what we already have - at least statistically. Is there an X factor that doesn't show up here that I'm missing, or is it just a grass is greener view that us supporters have? Jake has an even higher 'clanger' average. Player Statistics Comparison Jake Lever Name Oscar McDonald Adelaide Crows Team Melbourne Demons Defender Position Defender 37 Career Games 20 Calder Cannons Origin North Ballarat Rebels March 5, 1996 Date of Birth March 18, 1996 Turned 20 in 2016 Age Turned 20 in 2016 195cm Height 196cm 93kg Weight 97kg 2014 National Draft Last Drafted In 2014 National Draft Round 1, Pick #14 Last Draft Position Round 3, Pick #53 Adelaide Crows Last Drafted By Melbourne Demons 2016 Stats for Season 2016 24 Games 15 10.3 Kicks Per Game 7.8 5.4 Handballs Per Game 8.5 15.8 Disposals Per Game 16.3 5.2 Marks Per Game 4.2 0.1 Goals Per Game 0 0.1 Behinds Per Game 0 1.0 Tackles Per Game 1.8 0 Hitouts Per Game 0 1.4 Inside 50s Per Game 1.3 0.1 Goal Assists Per Game 0.1 0.7 Frees For Per Game 0.7 1.0 Frees Against Per Game 0.6 5.6 Contested Possessions Per Game 5.7 10.1 Uncontested Possessions Per Game 10.4 12.1 Effective Disposals Per Game 12.7 76.6% Disposal Efficiency % Per Game 77.9% 2.2 Clangers Per Game 1.4 0.8 Contested Marks Per Game 0.5 0.1 Marks Inside 50 Per Game 0 0.1 Clearances Per Game 0.4 2.8 Rebound 50s Per Game 2.4 5.1 One Percenters Per Game 5.7 0.2 Bounces Per Game 0 84.0 Time On Ground % Per Game 85.4 59.5 AFL Fantasy Score Per Game 59.1 70.5 Supercoach Score Per Game 68.9

Good luck to the Mighty Eagles in a few hours. A win tonight could only be bettered by the Dees winning the flag. GO RED AND BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sad to read of the passing of Jimmy Hill. Match of the Day was what got me interested in (English) Soccer - or if we are to be truthful, the real football. I started barracking for Man U because they were called the Devils and they wore all red (like my then VFA team Preston), I sinned and swapped teams in 1989 after a tiny article in the MFC Newsletter stating Melbourne has formed an alliance with Crystal Palace FC, stating we had reciprocal rights with supporters of either club having membership rights at the other - something I'm sure is long gone. Anyway, Palace wore red and blue and were very much an underdog - both of which appealed to be. As fate would have it within a year Palace played in their only FA Cup final ever drawing 3-3 after extra time, only to lose the replay 1-0 to Man U!!!! I have since become a fanatical follower (hence my name combining my 2 obsessions) getting up at 2am to watch them live each week and getting right shirty if they lose. They have been fantastic this season, having recruited brilliantly and finally keeping a manager for more than half a season. Importantly I see similarities with the Dees as Palace have come from an even worse position than the Dees. If you'd have told any EPL follower Palace would be a top 6 club - above the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, Everton etc you would have been admitted. These things can happen and I backed Palace to do what they have done so far this year because I could see what was happening off field. I get the same feeling with Melbourne. They will be knocking on the door of the 8 in '16 and I'm super confident will be a finalist in 2017. I can see the day when red and blue ribbons will be tied on the AFL Premiership and the FA Cups (prefer EPL title but will settle for this) in the same year. Bucket list complete!

Totally agree. It wasn't an attack on Barrett as such (although given the chance.....) but more that, as frustrating as it is as a supporter not I hearing anything, it is how it should be so the due diligence and negotiating is being done without external pressures. That is my belief (hope) but if I'm wrong ........ then THE END IS NIGH!

In other words Barrett has NFI but thinks we must be doing something!