33 Facts About Jake Lever

Jake Lever was born on 5 March 1996 and is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League.

Jake Lever suffered a serious knee injury which forced him to miss the entire season in his final junior year.

Jake Lever made his debut during the 2015 season and received an AFL Rising Star nomination.

Jake Lever spent three seasons at Adelaide, in which he played in a grand final, was named in the All-Australian squad, named in the 22under22 team three times, and won the emerging talent award at Adelaide.

Jake Lever was born to Alan and Narelle Jake Lever on 5 March 1996 and was raised in Romsey, Victoria.

Jake Lever started his junior football career with the Romsey-Lancefield Rangers in the Riddell District Junior Football League at eight years of age.

Jake Lever played senior football with the Romsey Football Club in the Riddell District Football League at sixteen years of age and played in the grand final in 2012.

Jake Lever played for the Calder Cannons in the TAC Cup as a bottom-aged player in 2013.

Jake Lever played fourteen matches for the season, including the preliminary final loss to the Dandenong Stingrays, and finished third in the best and fairest count.

Jake Lever averaged eighteen disposals, five rebound 50s and three intercept marks for the season.

Jake Lever received mid-year honours when he represented Vic Metro in the 2013 AFL Under 18 Championships, playing in four matches and captaining one of the matches despite being a bottom-aged player.

Jake Lever spent the 2014 season in the coaches box with the Calder Cannons and Vic Metro, a move which he later described was motivated by wanting to coach after finishing his playing career.

Jake Lever started the sport in year seven to stay fit during the football off-season and had planned to participate in amateur fights during 2014, but was unable to due to his knee injury.

Jake Lever made his SANFL debut in Adelaide's first match of the year in the three point loss to North Adelaide at Prospect Oval in round two and was named in Adelaide's best players.

Jake Lever recorded seventeen disposals at eighty-eight percent efficiency, ten marks and three tackles.

Jake Lever returned to the senior side for the round fifteen match against West Coast at Domain Stadium.

Jake Lever played the remainder of the home and away season apart from the round twenty-one match against Brisbane at the Adelaide Oval due to being rested.

Jake Lever's season was commended by his coaches due to his maturity and professional approach and he received the Dr Brian Sando OAM Trophy, in addition to Adelaide's defensive coach, Darren Milburn, stating Lever could become one of the AFL's elite defenders.

Jake Lever was recognised as one of the top young players in the competition when he finished fourth in AFL Players Association best first year player award, eighth in the AFL Rising Star award and was named as the centre half-back in the 22under22 team.

Jake Lever was commended for his performance in the fifty-eight point win against Port Adelaide in round two by former Port Adelaide player, Kane Cornes, who labelled the match his break out game, in which he recorded nineteen disposals, ten marks and six rebound 50s.

Jake Lever earned AFL Media team of the week honours for the sixty point win against Carlton at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in round sixteen.

Jake Lever kicked the first goal of his career late in the season in the round twenty-one match against Fremantle at Domain Stadium, playing on from a mark and baulking two Fremantle defenders before kicking the goal, his effort was nominated as the goal of the round.

Jake Lever's season was rewarded with selection in the 22under22 team for the second consecutive season as the centre half-back and the "20in2020" team, a team comprising the best twenty players drafted from the previous four AFL Academy intakes.

Jake Lever finished third in the AFL Coaches Association best young player award and won the emerging talent award at Adelaide.

Jake Lever returned to the AFL for the seventeen point win against Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval in round three.

Jake Lever played the next four matches before missing the round eight match against Melbourne at the Adelaide Oval due to a hamstring injury and returned the next week for the eighty point win against Brisbane at the Gabba.

Jake Lever suffered his third hamstring injury for the season during the round seventeen match against Melbourne at TIO Stadium and consequently missed the next two matches.

Jake Lever returned for the eighty-four point win against Post Adelaide in round twenty in which was his fiftieth AFL match.

Jake Lever played every match for the remainder of the year helping Adelaide win the minor premiership and reach the club's first grand final since 1998 with Adelaide losing the match to Richmond by forty-eight points.

Jake Lever indicated early in the season he planned on signing another contract with Adelaide, but was waiting until the collective bargaining agreement was finalised between the AFL and AFLPA.

Three days after the grand final, Jake Lever announced on Seven News Melbourne he had requested a trade to the Melbourne Football Club.

Furthermore, he did not attend Adelaide's best and fairest night with Jake Lever's manager saying he was advised not to attend by Adelaide, while the wife of Adelaide's Chief Executive Officer retorted by stating Jake Lever chose not to attend the night.

Jake Lever was officially traded to Melbourne during the trade period.