AFL Daily: Steven May, Jay Lever can lead Demon rise, rolling footy news for Friday March 6, 2020

Melbourne had a disastrous 2019 season, winning just five games. But ex-Demon and former Hawthorn premiership star Jordan Lewis says two defenders who played just eight games each can make a huge difference in 2020.

Former Melbourne defender Jordan Lewis has declared Steven May and Jake Lever the Demons' “two most important players” and has backed the pair to help the side bounce back in 2020.

Melbourne was ravaged by an interrupted pre-season last year and managed only five wins during a difficult campaign.

May played only eight AFL games in his first season with the Demons after crossing from Gold Coast Suns, while Lever also played only eight games in his second season for the club since crossing from Adelaide.

Watch every match of every round of the 2020 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE & On-Demand with KAYO. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >

The pair played only four games together.

“For me they are probably the two most important players of that side,” Lewis told the Herald Sun at Fox Footy’s 2020 Season Launch.

“Because the Demons don’t have a lot of depth in the key position defensive unit, I think they are vital and they are such good players. Yes, they are good one-on-one defenders, but their ability to set up other people is also key. From what we’veseen in the past, it is so important to have continuity with your back six and hopefully they will help provide that thisyear. They are both seriously good players.”

Steven May in action at Melbourne training.

Lewis said he had no doubt the Demons would rebound this year.

“I think when a side has a bad year you have got to learn lessons from it, but some sides have to go back to the draft andget in talent. For me, the talent’s already there,” Lewis said.

“So on the back of last year’s disappointment and the talent being there and a better attitude towards pre-season, I thinkthey’ll bounce back.”

Melbourne meets Hawthorn in its second Marsh Community Series match in Launceston on Friday night.

Originally published as AFL Daily: Steven May, Jay Lever can lead Demon rise, rolling footy news for Friday March 6, 2020