Heading into the 2014 national draft , Lever was linked to the Melbourne Football Club and was predicted to be selected as high as Melbourne 's pick two or three , however , he slipped through to the Adelaide Football Club 's first selection and fourteenth overall in the draft . After the coaching staff elected to take a cautions approach with Lever and not play him in the 2015 NAB Challenge , he played his first match in over eighteen months when he played in a South Australian National Football League ( SANFL ) trial match against in early April . He made his SANFL debut in Adelaide 's first match of the year in the three point loss to at Prospect Oval in round two and was named in Adelaide 's best players . After playing in a handful of matches in the SANFL , his form was publicly praised by then-Adelaide coach , Phil Walsh , and he was named to make his AFL debut in round six against at Metricon Stadium . He recorded seventeen disposals at eighty-eight percent efficiency , ten marks and three tackles . In his fourth match , he recorded seventeen disposals and five marks in the eleven point loss to at the Adelaide Oval in round nine and was named in the '' AFL Media 's '' team of the week . In the same match , he injured his ankle which saw him miss three weeks of football before returning through the SANFL . He returned to the senior side for the round fifteen match against at Domain Stadium . Two weeks later in his seventh AFL match , he was named the round nominee for the AFL Rising Star after recording twenty-four disposals at ninety-two percent efficiency , ten marks and seven rebound-50s in the forty-five point win against Gold Coast at Adelaide Oval in round seventeen . He was highly praised for his performance in the match by Adelaide 's caretaker coach , Scott Camporeale , who said " he 's a great competitor ... he 's going to be a 200-game player of this footy club and a real leader . " He played the remainder of the home and away season apart from the round twenty-one match against at the Adelaide Oval due to being rested . Despite the club qualifying for finals , he was omitted for the finals campaign and played twelve matches in total for the season . His season was commended by his coaches due to his maturity and professional approach and he received the Dr Brian Sando OAM Trophy , in addition to Adelaide 's defensive coach , Darren Milburn , stating Lever could become one of the AFL 's elite defenders . He was recognised as one of the top young players in the competition when he finished fourth in AFL Players Association ( AFLPA ) best first year player award , eighth in the AFL Rising Star award and was named as the centre half-back in the 22under22 team
AFL Rising Star
2015 AFL Rising Star
Jake Lever