Jake Lever and Mitch McGovern have been the centre of trade speculation in Adelaide over the past few months.
Lever, 21, is in his third year of AFL football and has taken his game to new heights this season as an intercept defender in the Crows back six.
McGovern, 22, has also made great strides in 2017 after making his debut last year. A severe hamstring tear in Round 3 hampered his progress, but since his return the West Australian has kicked 11 goals in his last four matches.
Both players are attracting big offers from their home states. Lever, who is believed to have received offers in the $800,000 range, has reportedly ruled out the Western Bulldogs as a potential destination and has his eyes set on Melbourne and Collingwood. McGovern has reportedly been offered a five-year, $750,000 offer to sign with Fremantle, which is more than double what Adelaide offered him earlier in the season.
So which player’s signature is of the highest importance to the Crows?
Lever has been touted as a future captain of the Adelaide Football Club should he stay. Only 52 games into his AFL career, he has displayed tremendous on-field leadership in big games and captained in his junior days.
As noted previously, he is one of the game’s elite intercept markers and one-on-one defenders. Labelled by many experts as the game’s next Alex Rance, Lever’s statistics through his first 50 games compare favourably to greats that have gone before him.
This season he has overtaken two-time All-Australian Daniel Talia as the Crows’ most important key defender and has shown he is not afraid to stand up for his teammates on the big stage.
McGovern, whose brother Jeremy plays for West Coast, has been nicknamed ‘gecko hands’ because of his ability to take contested marks. Aside from his ability to leap in a contest, McGovern has tremendous speed and footy smarts.
Playing as the fourth option in the forward line behind Taylor Walker, Josh Jenkins and Eddie Betts, he has learnt to constantly move and create space for his teammates. It is no surprise that Adelaide’s best footy has been before and after his hamstring injury, and their losses to the Kangaroos, Demons, Cats and Hawks came when he was sidelined.
If McGovern were to move to Fremantle, he would undoubtedly become their number one forward and draw the best key defenders in the game each week. In Adelaide, although his stats will most likely be down somewhat compared to if he played elsewhere, he will be in a position to compete for a premiership and continue to grow his game without the pressure of kicking 60 goals in a season.
There is little doubt in the minds of most that no matter where Lever plays he will notch up 200-plus games and receive All Australian honours. The question for him is whether he wants to play at the Crows, who will most likely remain successful for years to come, or at Melbourne, who have a good shot at becoming a successful club.
In an ideal world in Adelaide both players would take pay cuts and remain with the team, but as this appears unlikely, McGovern should become the Crows’ number one priority. While he does not have the leadership qualities of Lever, key forwards who can run and leap are a precious commodity in the modern game and should be cherished when they arise.
gameofmarks
Roar Guru
He's not worth anywhere near $700,000.
dontknowmuchaboutfootball
Guest
McGovern has now re-signed with Adelaide.
Justin Ahrns
Roar Guru
Perhaps throw in Paddy Ryder for a SANFL boost too! ;)
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
It would need to be Ollie Wines and Robbie Gray for Adelaide to look twice!
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
McGovern is a different player to the rest of the forward line Tall, with pace and high marking! Neither Tex nor Jenkins have that high marking skill nor that electrifying pace (albeit that they have different skills like endurance and lead up marking, 60m kick etc).
Justin Ahrns
Roar Guru
Would certainly be worth considering. The draft this year is a deep one, so a first round pick is enticing. I'd say it would need a slightly more appealing piece than Broomhead though, depending of course on what the other offers are.
Justin Ahrns
Roar Guru
Adelaide is well known for having great list management. You worry about the culture it creates when young players continue to leave though, it can't be a good sign. Haven't heard of that rumour, where'd you see that?
Peter the Scribe
Guest
Pies will give you Broomhead and a first round for Lever?
Kane
Guest
Is he really worth that much tho with the forward line that you already have? An early pick might be a better option i reckon
Dawson Kreek
Guest
If a deal has not been sorted prior to finals and you are in young Team that has Won the Minor Premiership then my guess is both Mitch and Lever will be on the move. No one or 2 players will cause too much of a ripple at Adelaide as it has shown it has the depth to replace players who are injured or in absence as Mr Patrick Dangerfield is. Rumours have it that 2 key Power players are looking to cross over from the Dark side.
Justin Ahrns
Roar Guru
You're right, the narrative is changing all the time. I think all signs point to him playing elsewhere next season. That said, if he plays a key role in a premiership before then, I think that makes it slightly more forgivable.
Fairsuckofthesav
Guest
If Lever wants to play for Melbourne a team that might not play finals this year that is disappointing. When Crows selected him after many clubs passed on him due to his knee injury he promised to return the vote of faith in spades by being a long term player.He said earlier this year he was comitted to the Crows but just waiting for the new players agreement. He also denied meeting with Melbourne when respected scribes said he did. He is by all accounts a very confident young man. However the changing narrative suggests hubris. Watch out for the karma bus Jake.
Justin Ahrns
Roar Guru
They do, but the forward line does seem to work better with McGovern in it. You would obviously hate to let either of them go, though.
Justin Ahrns
Roar Guru
Yeah you make a good point. We don't want to be caught up in contract talks in the weeks leading up to a finals series
Craig Delaney
Guest
Menzel's name has been around for so long it's hard to believe he's still just 22 yo. Watching him in the twos he's far more solid physically and in general play than he was. He is building.
Craig Delaney
Guest
It all starts with the recruiting. Then the coaches. The culture is also critical.
FreoKnight
Guest
McGovern should back himself in and see if he can increase his currency during the finals series. Having said that, if I was McGovern I would be looking at an Adelaide signing. On a related point, I think the AFL needs to look at how it manages free agency. It is not in the interests of football that we are on the cusp of the finals and people are talking about who is going where next year. The focus should be on the finals. I think the AFL needs to put in place a system by where deals can be made up until say week 16 and then after that all discussions and offers need to be put off uńtil the week after the grand final. Footballers should be allowed to wait until the end of the season to see where they sit at the value table before they make a decision about their future and similarly for clubs to see the value of their footballers in finals, without the constant speculation about who is being offered what and who is going where. It all detracts from the football. Clubs that transgress this policy by discussing/offering contracts during this period could be sanctioned with loss of draft picks for the more serious and for the less serious they could have say their first/second round pick moved to the end of the first/second round or alternatively fined.
FreoKnight
Guest
Adelaide is proving itself to be quite the nursery of football talent in the AFL.
Mic
Guest
All things are point ing to Lever going to Carlton, in exchange for the bevy of stars we've sent them, headed by that once in a generation forward star, by the name of Troy Menzel.
Mick_Lions
Roar Pro
Lever's stats lean towards him being the best in the comp once he matures. Key forwards don't grow on trees but neither do generation Full Backs. I'd take Lever over McGovern at the Crows as they have a plethora of forwards.