Jake Lever has had a tough start at Melbourne but Jeff White believes he will be a ‘super player’

JEFF White understands what Jake Lever is going through because he was in a similar situation two decades ago, but the ex-Demons ruckman says things will get better for the high-profile recruit.

Jake Lever hasn’t had an easy start at Melbourme. Picture: Michael Klein

JEFF White remembers in vivid detail his first game after returning to Victoria as Melbourne’s next big thing.

How could he forget?

Three seasons at Fremantle as the No.1 pick in the 1994 draft were enough for White, and the Demons beat rivals, including St Kilda, for his services.

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“My first game for Melbourne was against Fremantle — tell me that wasn’t set up by the AFL,” White said this week.

“I had four touches and I was booed the whole game by the crowd in Perth. It was a shocker of a game.

“There was so much outside noise about me coming across and after that first game I just got belted in the media.”

Remind you of anyone?

Jake Lever has had to withstand a hellish first four games with the Demons.

Luminaries such as Jonathan Brown have criticised him as having a “soft look”, first-gamers such as Esava Ratugolea have beaten him and the Demons, collectively, haven’t been much better.

Vision of the ball spilling past him on the way to another Hawthorn goal last round epitomised his sluggish start.

Jake Lever has not had it easy on his return to Melbourne. Picture: Michael Klein

No one questions Lever’s ability as an intercept marking star and he can justify Melbourne’s decision to “bring him home” from Adelaide on $750,000 a year.

While White believes the criticism is fair, he said fans underestimated the amount of change to which Lever, 22, has had to adjust.

“Jake Lever is going to be a super player — he is a great get for the Melbourne footy club,” said White, 41, who played 268 games from 1995-2008, chiefly as a ruckman.

“It was different for me because (Melbourne coach) Neale Daniher had been my assistant coach for three years at Freo and I knew his game style.

“But Lever has new players around him, a new game style and you have to find your feet.

“How many great back sixes of the past have played together for a long time?

“Look at Geelong and how predictable Matthew Scarlett was for Darren Milburn and Milburn for Tom Harley. That didn’t happen overnight.

“Look at the Richmond back six. They have been together for a while. You need to jell and it hasn’t happened at Melbourne.”

A month in, Lever has had a couple of stinkers and a couple of solid games.

The symbolism of Geelong isolating first-gamer Ratugolea on him in Round 1 was impossible to miss and Hawk Jack Gunston cut him up last weekend.

Jeff White says Jake Lever is a great get for the Demons. Picture: Getty Images

But as Lever told Fox Footy’s AFL Tonight last week, he put together a couple of serviceable games in between those contests.

Able to play against smalls such as North Melbourne’s Jy Simpkin and Brisbane Lion Lewis Taylor, Lever was free to play his intercept game.

The question is whether other rivals will allow him to play that freewheeling intercept role.

“The first one wasn’t great. Definitely, individually, it wasn’t what I would have liked to start my career off at Melbourne,’’ Lever said.

“But the last few weeks, my first half against Brisbane was back to the way I like to play. There are obviously massive steps I can take.

“It is the expectation that I put upon myself. You put so much pressure on yourself to perform every week and I really like to play my role every week and try to dominate every week. It’s what I tell myself. There is definitely another level I can go to.”

On face value, Melbourne’s defensive numbers are disastrous. The Demons have conceded the fewest inside 50s per game on average, but are ranked 13th for scores against and 15th for opposition scores once inside 50.

Against Hawthorn, the Demons dominated possession early, so Hawthorn’s counterattacks were fast and lethal.

Jeff White also took time to settle in at Melbourne when he joined from Fremantle.

On Tuesday night, against Richmond’s fleet of smalls, Lever might take Jacob Townsend or Josh Caddy, but the Tigers are sure to try to drag him away from his intercept game.

Alex Rance, the best defender in the modern game, this week sympathised with Lever, but implicit in his comments was that if you get paid big money, you aren’t forgiven unless you earn it.

“(The criticism) is a little bit unjust. He is still a very young player and for him to be the calibre of player he is at the age he is, is a real credit to him,’’ Rance said.

“It warrants the money and the attention it brought him, but with that comes the scrutiny.

“You get paid, but you get the profile and criticism as well.

“I actually don’t think he’s been that bad, but it takes a while to adjust to the support around you.

“I am lucky to have Dylan Grimes, David Astbury and Nick Vlastuin, who are supports for me.

“If I choose to attack the ball when it’s probably not warranted they can cover me.

“It is going to take a bit of time to realise who and where his help is going to come from.”

Having returned to Melbourne and the bright lights of the MCG, Lever will quickly find there is nowhere to hide.

Next up — 90,000 fans at the MCG against the reigning premier on Anzac eve.

Over to you, Jake.

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