DO THE DEAL
Crows urged to trade Lever in a hurry
“GET on with it.” And avoid being left empty-handed by sending uncontracted Crows defender Jake Lever to next month’s AFL national draft.
This is the advice to the Adelaide Football Club from the man who stood on principle at Port Adelaide in 2003 by refusing to trade midfielder Nick Stevens to his club of choice, Collingwood.
Former Power football chief Mick Moylan says the Crows’ threat to cast Lever to the draft pool in November is flawed. “There is no comparison be- tween Nick Stevens and Jake Lever, nor any comparison with 2003 and now,” Moylan said.
“And Adelaide has to remember, the player needs to sign the deal. There are three parties in any trade — the two clubs and the player. A club can huff and puff as much as it likes, but Adelaide needs to trade Lever.
“Get on with it — and do the best deal possible.”
Lever, 21, formally quit Adelaide on Tuesday, though the Victorian had made it clear to the Crows in the lead-up to last month’s AFL finals he would see a trade.
Lever has nominated Melbourne, where he has agreed a four-year deal worth as much as $3.6 million, a salary the Crows refuse to match.
He is confident he will be a Demon next season, either by a trade this month or in the draft next month.
His manager, Ned Guy, has reaffirmed there will be no “spoiler” trade, not even from Collingwood where he will become list manager after the trade period.
“Jake will only be playing for Melbourne next year,” Guy said yesterday.
And he emphasised Moylan’s point of Lever having the final word on his trade, saying: “Jake won’t sign off with any other deal.”
While the Crows say they will deal with the “10 clubs in Victoria”, there is only one end point for Lever — Melbourne.
And he can leave the Crows empty-handed by nominating on his draft form his super salary, a price no club can match.
Adelaide and Melbourne will meet at Etihad Stadium on Monday — when the 11-day AFL trade period opens — with the Demons football chief Josh Mahoney prepared to offer a first-round draft pick and next year’s second-round call to the Crows for the 56game Lever.