Adelaide Crows prepare to test Melbourne’s eagerness for Jake Lever by having Collingwood play the spoiler game at AFL trade talks

YOUNG Crows defender Jake Lever wants out of the Adelaide Football Club, but his preferred move to Melbourne might be spoiled by Collingwood

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ADELAIDE is to start the biggest “poker game” the Crows have ever faced in the AFL trade period with young defender Jake Lever.

And the Crows are fortunate to have Collingwood already in the race for the 21-year-old Victorian who quit the Adelaide Football Club yesterday, as had been expected for more than three months.

Lever, a 56-game player in his three seasons at West Lakes, wants to join Melbourne. The Demons are prepared to pay the 2014 first-round draftee as much as $810,000-a-season for the next four years.

The Crows will want at least two first-round draft picks for Lever.

And Collingwood will test both the Demons and Lever by bidding against Melbourne when the AFL trade period opens at Etihad Stadium on Monday.

Lever’s exit - and the off-field plays to follow - puts the Adelaide football and list-management

Jake Lever has announced he is leaving the Crows. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith

teams under the biggest pressure to close a trade since 1994 when the Crows had to engineer a super deal with three clubs to secure eventual premiership hero Darren Jarman.

Crows football chief Brett Burton last night reaffirmed Lever was leaving Adelaide solely for financial reasons. Lever says he wants to return to his family base in Melbourne.

Burton also dismissed the impression Adelaide did not have salary cap space to compete with the $3.6 million deal from the Demons - a pricetag that could make Collingwood fold at the trade table.

“We don’t think it is fair on the rest of the playing group to make Jake the highest-paid player,” Burton said.

Lever joined Adelaide in the 2014 AFL national draft at pick No. 14. The Crows would expect at least one first-round draft pick and a top-grade midfielder to close the trade. If a player cannot be included in the deal, Adelaide would require two draft picks within the first 25 calls of next month’s draft - or two first-round picks across the next two drafts.

Burton confirmed Adelaide list manager Justin Reid already has had talks with Collingwood to be part of the bidding game for Lever. And he wants to draw other Melbourne-based clubs into the process that must be closed by 1.30pm (SA time) on Thursday, October 19.

“There are 10 clubs in Victoria - and we negotiate with whoever gives us the best value,” Burton said. “Jake has a preference (Melbourne). We will do what is in the best interests of the Adelaide Football Club.”

And Burton says that could include forcing Lever to the pre-season draft where the Crows would get nothing.

“That is a real possibility,” Burton said. But this is a meaningless threat as Lever would most probably still make it to Melbourne by declaring the $3.6 million price tag.

Lever told Adelaide two weeks ago of his decision that the Crows had been anticipating for three months. Adelaide had anticipated such by starting trade talks in Melbourne two months ago.

“Where there is smoke, there is fire,” Burton said of the long-running speculation on Lever’s future.

“In our discussions with Jake and his management, it was clear he is happy with the Adelaide Football Club ... it is pretty clear it was a financially motivated decision.”

Adelaide will be one of the high-profile clubs at the trade talks next week. Beyond Lever, the Crows have to consider:

PACY forward Charlie Cameron’s interest from Brisbane. Burton says Cameron is on contract to Adelaide for next season and has not indicated a wish to move.

CONTRACTED Carlton midfielder Bryce Gibbs. After botching the trade for the 28-year-old South Australian last year, Adelaide is this time leaving any announcements to Gibbs and the Blues.

CONTRACTED Essendon defender Aaron Francis as a replacement for Lever. Burton is reluctant to put this on the public agenda while the Bombers remain angry at recent moves by the Crows to lure Francis back to SA.

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