Jake backs Dees’ depth
MELBOURNE forward Jake Melksham says the Demons have the depth to cover the loss of Jake Lever, shooting down suggestions the defender’s injury might harm the club’s premiership hopes.
Lever joined teammates at AAMI Park yesterday morning before meeting with a surgeon to arrange a knee reconstruction after rupturing his ACL in Saturday’s win over the Western Bulldogs, ruling him out for the rest of the season.
Melbourne made securing Lever its “No. 1 priority” during last year’s trade period, believing he was a missing piece in their puzzle.
However, asked whether Lever’s loss put a dent in the Demon’s premiership hopes, Melksham yesterday responded with a firm, “No”.
“It’s heartbreaking news for Jake,” Melksham said.
“Obviously he was just starting to hit his straps — new guy at a new club playing some good footy. [He’s] only young too and he’s already had a knee injury before so he knows what to expect and what he’s got ahead of him. We’ll be rallying around him.
“We’ve got some depth at our footy club in terms of halfbacks. We’ve got Sam Frost, Harrison Petty’s doing some good things, Joel Smith as well who’s quite versatile. So we’ve got some guys there that will back up well.”
Melksham, who rolled his ankle in the win over the Bulldogs, said while he had been “hobbling around” the day after the game he expected to be fit to take on Collingwood next Monday.
That match looks set to be the biggest Queen’s Birthday clash since 2006 when 78,773 fans flocked through the gates.
“I had a look at the Collingwood game [on Sunday] and they’re playing really good footy,” Melksham said.
“We played against Richmond earlier this year and there was about 80,000 there and we absolutely love that occasion, playing on a big stage and trying to perform.
“That will be a challenge again this week, trying to perform against a big club and a quality team.
“It’s something that as Melbourne footy club we want to get used to.”
Former Melbourne coach Neale Daniher will again talk to Demons players this week as part of the build-up to Freeze MND, which will see all 18 senior coaches slide into icy water in support of motor neurone disease research.