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Crows, Dees make progress on deal for Jake Lever, but Adelaide rejects trade offer from Brisbane for Charlie Cameron

ADELAIDE’S asking price for 21-year-old defender Jake Lever is confirmed as two first-round draft picks, but it has left talks with Brisbane rejecting a trade on Charlie Cameron.

Jake Lever is in Melbourne’s sights after making progress on a deal with Adelaide. Picture: Sarah Reed
Jake Lever is in Melbourne’s sights after making progress on a deal with Adelaide. Picture: Sarah Reed

ADELAIDE’S trade position is clearer — two first-round draft picks for Jake Lever, no deal on Charlie Cameron, no new move on Bryce Gibbs and still waiting on Steve Motlop.

Crows list manager Justin Reid left the first round of AFL trade talks at Etihad Stadium on Monday morning with Adelaide and Melbourne finding a starting point on trading 21-year-old defender Lever. Demons football chief Josh Mahoney has confirmed Adelaide wants two first-round draft picks — and Melbourne is offering no more than a first and a second-round call in November’s AFL national draft.

But Reid was not budging on Cameron, who wants a trade to Brisbane despite having a year to serve on his contract at West Lakes.

Reid declined to confirm Mahoney’s account of how trade talks unfolded on Monday.

“We’re not going to go into specifics on how the transaction may take place,” Reid said. “We will work through in the next fortnight.

“We have good dialogue with Melbourne, so we will see there that gets to in the next fortnight. There are nine other clubs in Melbourne, but we’re certainly having a chat with Melbourne at the moment.”

Reid left talks with Brisbane rejecting a trade on Cameron who last week asked to be released for “compassionate reasons” to return to his family base in Queensland.

“He (Cameron) is a contracted player — and a required player in 2018 at the Adelaide Football Club,” Reid said. “He is a contracted player and we are happy with where Charlie is.”

But Cameron’s management has declared the speedy forward-midfielder is not happy in Adelaide and cannot play his best football while he feels less comfortable away from his family base.

Reid rejected a compassionate trade saying: “You have seen what we have been through as a footy club in the past five years — player welfare is of the highest order. So from a player welfare point of view, we will continue to do that (with Cameron).

“He is contracted and we are keen on Charlie being at the Adelaide Football Club in 2018.”

Reid described Adelaide’s move on Motlop as “due diligence” on the Geelong free agent.

“That is kind of new, so we will work through that in the next couple of days,” Reid said. “We will do our due diligence ... he has a bit of time (to make a call on Adelaide, Gold Coast, Port Adelaide or Geelong).”

Adelaide is not returning to Carlton to work a deal for contracted midfielder Bryce Gibbs after making a mess of a trade for the South Australian 12 months ago.

“We have moved on from there,” Reid said. “Bryce is a contracted player — and he is happy where he is.”

Reid did not advance the case for contracted Essendon defender Aaron Francis who wants a go-home move to SA.

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Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/teams/adelaide/crows-dees-make-progress-on-deal-for-jake-lever/news-story/5d889cc401d31f58fe6871faeffb5c73