Jake Lever’s year recovering from a knee reconstruction and path to the Crows is documented in the new book The Draftees.

Lever – drafted by Adelaide with its first pick at the 2014 AFL national draft – was one of five players tracked by writer Emma Quayle through their draft year in her book, released on August 26.

The stories of Peter Wright, Isaac Heeney, Tom Lamb and Clem Smith are also told in The Draftees, Quayle’s follow-up to her 2008 book The Draft. Quayle was also given exclusive access to St Kilda’s recruiting team and strategies throughout the year.

The Draftees details Lever’s frustration at being sidelined for the whole season by the injury, how it affected the views of Club recruiters, the build-up to the November draft, calling of his name at pick 14 and his first six months with the Crows.

The book reveals how Lever was told by Crows training staff that he would be taken back to the nine-month point of his knee rehab program and held back from training with the main group.

Lever was also warned by coach Phil Walsh that he may spend the whole season playing in the SANFL.

But then it was Walsh who, six rounds into the season, told Lever that he was going to make his AFL debut.

“I couldn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day,” says Lever.

The Draftees, published by Penguin, RRP $32.99