FIRST-year Adelaide defender Jake Lever says his reconstructed left knee is ready to withstand the rigours of full-scale match practice.
Lever ruptured his left anterior cruciate on a NAB AFL Academy training camp in November 2013 and had a traditional reconstruction a few weeks later.
It meant the then Calder Cannon sat out the entire 2014 TAC Cup season and last year's NAB AFL Under-18 Championships.
Fortunately, Lever had enjoyed such an outstanding under-age season in 2013 with the Cannons and as Vic Metro captain that Adelaide had no hesitation in snaring him with its first pick in last November's NAB AFL Draft, at No.14 overall.
Lever was ready to start training the day he walked into West Lakes and has had no problems with his knee as his workload has gradually increased.
The 18-year-old told AFL.com.au this week he was counting down the days until he and the Crows' other first-year players were thrown into match practice in a few weeks' time.
"I'm back in full training now and, while I've obviously got to wait for the games and match practice to start, my knee's been really good," Lever said at the AFL Players' Association induction camp for new players.
"It hasn't given me any troubles at the moment, so I'm just looking forward to continuing on and hopefully getting no other injuries.
"Obviously, the first-years always get eased in and we're just being eased in at the moment, but over the next two to three weeks we'll be back into the match practice and getting more exposed to it.
"I can't wait for it, I'll be really rapt to get back into that.
"Obviously a year out of the game is a long time and I just can't wait to challenge myself with some of the boys out there. I'm raring to go."
As frustrating as last year was for Lever, he believes the patient approach he took with his rehabilitation has helped him make such a seamless start at the Crows.
"I guess I could have rushed and tried to get back for the end of the season, but I sat down with Ian Kyte, the region manager at the Cannons, and just discussed when I wanted to get back," Lever said.
"We decided not to take so much of a risk and focused on getting back in the pre-season and hopefully getting onto an AFL list.
"Obviously, now that I'm at Adelaide it's worked out really well.
"Not being able to train on the first day that you come to a new club would not have been great, but they said 'Yep, you're right to train'. I was rapt."
Lever says he has received a warm welcome at West Lakes, singling out new captain Taylor Walker, Patrick Dangerfield and Rory Sloane as senior Crows that have made his relocation from Melbourne easier.
But there's one particular Crow Lever is looking to emulate as he prepares to step up into AFL football – last year's All Australian full-back Daniel Talia.
"I've been stuck into him already and asking him lots of questions and trying to learn off him," Lever says.
"Just the way he goes about it is absolutely unreal. I think people from the outside sort of hear about how professional he is, but until you get into the club you really don't understand how much of a professional he is and how much time he puts into getting his body right.
"So to learn off him has been really good and I'm looking forward to continuing to learn off him."
