Jake Lever

Jake Lever is a professional Australian Rules footballer, currently playing as a defender for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He primarily plays as a half-back and is known for his intercept marking and ability to read the play.

Jake is originally from Romsey, Victoria and from a young age played top-level football.

In late 2012, Jake received a scholarship with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) when he was named in the AIS/AFL Academy level one squad as part of their 2013 intake. He played for the Calder Cannons in the TAC Cup as a bottom-aged player in 2013.

Jake has represented and captained Victoria in the AFL Under 18 Championships as a bottom-aged player. He then suffered a serious knee injury which forced him to miss the entire season in his final junior year.

Despite being one of the top prospects heading into the 2014 AFL draft, he slipped through to pick fourteen and was recruited by the Adelaide Football Club. He made his debut during the 2015 season and received an AFL Rising Star nomination.

Jake spent three seasons at Adelaide, in which he played in a grand final, was named in the All-Australian squad, named in the 22under22 team three times, and won the emerging talent award at Adelaide. After fifty-six matches with Adelaide, he joined the Melbourne Football Club during the 2017 trade period.

In addition to football, Jake was an avid boxer and was nearly chosen to compete in the 2012 London Olympics. He started the sport in year seven to stay fit during the football off-season and had planned to participate in amateur fights during 2014, but was unable to due to his knee injury.

Off the field, his interests include, football skill and game development, mentoring new talent, leadership and culture development. His hobbies include wine appreciation, travelling, cooking and spending time with his family.