Once it became apparent Jake Lever was leaving Adelaide, a group of senior players asked coach Don Pyke to omit the defender from the finals series, according to Michelangelo Rucci.

Earlier on SEN, inaugural Adelaide coach Graham Cornes said he would have left the 21-year-old out of the Grand Final, once he refused to recommit, declaring the Crows needed to make a stand after several players had previously walked out on the club.

“When Lever did actually make his declaration to the Adelaide football club that he would be out, the word is beginning to strengthen that a senior group of Adelaide players actually went to Don Pyke and suggested they not play Lever in the finals series,” Rucci told Hungry for Sport.

In the NRL, the moves surrounding the majority of players are announced publically prior to the season ending and The Adelaide Advertiser’s chief football writer says the derision surrounding the Lever move shows the AFL lacks maturity, regarding freedom of movement.

“It shows you we just don’t have the maturity at AFL level to understand the players will make decisions when they come out of contract, and have a right to look around the market, when the draft denies them that right at the very beginning,” Rucci said.