Jake Lever might be closer to an AFL premiership as Melbourne thrashes Adelaide in Alice Springs

JAKE Lever walked out on a grand finalist to join a team that hadn’t played finals for 11 years. On the evidence today, he might conceivably be closer to a premiership after Melbourne trounced Adelaide.

Richard Douglas handballs clear ona tough day for the Crows. Pic: AAP

JAKE Lever walked out on a grand finalist to join a team that hadn’t played finals for 11 years last season and on the evidence today might conceivably be closer to a premiership.

You could say injuries finally caught up with Adelaide in Alice Springs and the situation wasn’t helped when Paul Seedsman hurt his adductor in the warm-up and Luke Brown’s game ended before halftime with concussion.

But the Crows lost to an irresistible Melbourne by 91 points, and just maybe, the Demons are fair dinkum this season.

MATCH CENTRE: STATS, SUPERCOACH SCORES

It was the biggest loss of the Don Pyke era and Adelaide’s biggest loss since 2011.

The Demons have broken the 100-point barrier seven times this season and have now won their past five games with scores of 108, 106, 146, 159 and 146 and were ruthlessly accurate and efficient.

Crow Sam Jacobs tried hard, but Demon Max Gawn had the better of the duel. Pic: Getty Images

Brad Crouch, Rory Sloane, Taylor Walker, Mitch McGovern and Seedsman make Adelaide stronger, faster and more composed, unquestionably.

But injuries can’t be blamed for Adelaide’s failure to run hard both ways, man up, be aggressive, tackle with intent and win contested ball.

Because when they didn’t, Melbourne feasted on it and kicked 5.1 to 0.0 in the first 15 minutes and it was game over.

Eddie Betts and the Crows tried hard to keep Jake Lever down, but the Demon had a good day against his old side. Pic: AAP

The warning signs were there early when Jack Viney and Nathan Jones were able to walk the footy out of the middle and from there it was like circle work at training where they were able to move the ball without any pressure.

Max Gawn had a day out in the ruck, Jesse Hogan kicked five goals and Michael Hibberd beat Tom Lynch and punished Adelaide with his run off halfback.

The Crows threw Lynch and Darcy Fogarty behind the ball when under siege in the first quarter but couldn’t stem the flow.

Jesse Hogan booted five and was one of a host of Demons options in attack. Pic: Getty Images

The midfield was soundly beaten with Greenwood, Ellis-Yolmen and Gribbs all well down, they couldn’t hit simple targets consistently and were outworked.

The rare positives were Darcy Fogarty who led up all day and kicked a long goal, Richard Douglas and Matt Crouch were solid and youngster Tom Doedee did nothing wrong in the face of an avalanche of ball coming into defence.

Lever said he was looking forward to his first game against his old team and it showed.

Daniel Talia and his backline teammates were under siege. Pic: AAP

There was no push and shove before the bounce but he fired up as soon as the siren went.

He took a strong mark in the first minute, whacked a few of his old teammates in the back to let them know he was there and his confidence grew with his trademark intercept marks.

Melbourne led by 48 points at halftime and could smell blood after that and although the Crows rallied in the final term with two early goals, Lever still had the first laugh against his old side.

The question is will he have the last as well?

James Harmes and Hugh Greenwood go at it. Pic: AAP

MELBOURNE 7.1 12.2 18.6 23.8 (146)

ADELAIDE 3.1 4.2 5.4 8.7 (55)

BEST: Melbourne: Viney, Brayshaw, Gawn, Hogan, Hibberd, Oliver, Lever

Adelaide: Doedee, Douglas, Crouch, Fogarty, Laird.

GOALS: Adelaide: Douglas, Betts 2, Gallucci, Fogarty, Gibson, Jenkins

Melbourne: Hogan 5, Neal-Bullen, Petracca, Brayshaw 3, Smith, Melksham, McDonald 2, Hannan, Jones, Spargo.

INJURIES — Seedsman (adductor — in warm up), Brown (concussion).

UMPIRES — C. Donlon, C. Deboy, N. Brown.

CROWD — 6989 at Traeger Park.

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