AFL Daily: Get all the latest and breaking footy news for Thursday, June 21, 2018

MELBOURNE star Michael Hibberd has conceded it will take time for the Demons defence to learn how to play without Jake Lever. Re-cap all of today’s breaking news here.

MELBOURNE star Michael Hibberd has conceded it will take time for the Demons defence to learn how to play without Jake Lever.

Lever did not travel to Adelaide for the clash against Port Adelaide although he will be a regular in Simon Goodwin’s coaching box in the run to the finals. RE-CAP ALL THE DAY’S AFL NEWS IN THE BLOG BELOW Lever, who is out for the season with a knee injury, sat with Goodwin for the Queen’s Birthday loss to Collingwood. “He’s got a match day role now,” Hibberd told the Herald Sun. REPORT CARD: CAN DEES FOLLOW DOGS, TIGERS? REUNION: POWER TO DENY WATTS SHOT AT DEES “He passed a few messages over the course of the (Queen’s Birthday) game. “It’s a good opportunity for him to learn. He’s a young leader of the footy club and whether he wants to go down the coaching path after footy, who knows? “But he sat in the coach’s box (against the Magpies) and I’m sure that’d be interesting, especially in a game we got beaten convincingly. “I’d like to be a fly on a wall and hear what they say at times. I’m sure if you make a mistake or two they’d have a thing or two to say, it’d be interesting.” In their first game without Lever, Hibberd said the Demons felt “pretty vulnerable in the backline” as a result of Collingwood’s midfield dominance. “It’s hard to replace Jake,” Hibberd said. “He’s such a good reader of the play and he’s good at getting over and helping his teammates. “Joel Smith’s came in and actually did a really good job. He played his role and so we’ve got something to work with there. “We’re going to have to get used to playing without Jake, because he’s out for the year. “But I feel like there’s a positive with a young player like Joel Smith coming through. “We’ve got the one in, one out mantra. “We like to think we’ve got that many players that are ready to come in that are playing really well in the VFL that if one bloke goes down, one comes in and can play a role an do his job.” This is just the Demons’ third Friday night game since 2012. The 8-4 Dees have won their past two matches at Adelaide Oval and their past two matches against the Power. Watch every match of every round of the 2018 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. SIGN UP NOW >

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