Will Crows take another punt on a comeback kid?

ONE year after gambling and winning big on key defender Jake Lever the Crows could on Tuesday night be faced with a similar risk-versus-reward draft scenario. Andrew Capel reports.

Craig Burton with his son and AFL draft prospect Ryan Burton at Prospect Oval. Picture: MATT LOXTON

ONE year after gambling and winning big on key defender Jake Lever the Crows could on Tuesday night be faced with a similar risk-versus-reward draft scenario.

Adelaide last year pulled off one of the steals of the draft when it snared Victorian teenager Lever at pick 14 after he tumbled down the pecking order because of the knee reconstruction that cost him the 2014 season.

Until the injury Lever had been considered a top-five prospect.

Now, 12 months on, the Crows — armed with two first-round draft picks for the first time in their history — could be in a position to take a similar punt.

High-leaping North Adelaide forward Ryan Burton was, midway through last season, projected as a likely top-five selection this year.

Then he shattered his left leg when landing awkwardly from a marking contest, costing him his 2015 campaign.

Burton, 18, is now considered too big an injury risk to take in the top five and could be available for Adelaide when it selects at numbers nine and 13, although these picks will slide down the order as clubs bid on a handful of academy players.

Head of football David Noble said the Crows have done their homework on Burton and given him the medical all-clear.

This included examining his body and medical records at last month’s AFL draft combine and watching him undertake a special medical test, alongside fellow key forward draft prospect, Victiorian Sam Weideman, in Melbourne last Wednesday.

“We’ve certainly done our homework on all of those (injured) guys,’’ Noble said.

“Ryan, being a local, and having had a bad injury we’ve looked at him very closely and cleared him medically.

“We’ve done our due diligence and he’s on our (prospective draft) list.’’

Noble said securing Lever, who played 12 games in an impressive debut year, at a bargain basement price was a reward for “how well you do your work and understand what talent you can bring in’’.

“There’s usually a couple of players who come through the draft each year that have had some injury concerns — Burton and Weideman are the main two this year — that you have to go through the full (medical) process with and tick off boxes in terms of their injuries,’’ Noble said.

“We’re comfortable that we’ve done that.’’

In recent years, Lever, Geelong skipper Joel Selwood (No. 7 in 2006), Western Bulldogs forward Jake Stringer (5 in 2012) and former Blue and now Crow Troy Menzel (11 in 2012) have slid down the draft order because of injury concerns.

Burton, who intends to watch tonight’s draft from home with his family, does not believe he is an injury risk, saying his rebuilt leg feels stronger than it did before it buckled so badly.

Burton will likely be among a number of players Adelaide will strongly consider with its two live picks as it holds its best-ever draft hand, due to getting selection nine from Geelong for Patrick Dangerfield, just two years after being denied first and second-round picks in consecutive drafts as punishment for the infamous Kurt Tippett deal.

Fellow Croweaters Aaron Francis (West Adelaide), who is almost certain to be drafted before Adelaide gets a crack at him, Wayne Milera (Central District) and Riley Bonner (West) have also been linked with the Crows, along with a host of Victorians.

“Every draft is important but with the two picks we’ve got this year it’s really exciting for our footy club because there will be some high-end talent available to us,’’ Noble said.

Noble said Adelaide could bid for an academy prospect but would do so only “if that’s the player we want coming through the door’’.

“We won’t bid simply for the sake of trying to force someone to use more bidding points because that would be the incorrect way to go about it,’’ he said.

Former powerhouses Carlton and Essendon have the strongest draft hands with four selections in the top 25.

After trading away picks for key recruits Charlie Dixon and Jimmy Toumpas, Port Adelaide does not enter the draft until No. 32 and will be trying to find some diamonds in the rough.

Originally published as Will Crows take another punt on a comeback kid?