Jake Lever will miss the rest of the 2018 AFL season after it was confirmed he had ruptured his left anterior cruciate ligament.



General manager of football operations Josh Mahoney said it was a tough blow to lose Lever for the remainder of the year.



“It is disappointing news that Jake will miss the rest of the 2018 season,” he told Melbourne Media.



“After finding his feet early on, Jake has displayed the type of form we recruited him for – he has been an integral part of our team’s recent winning form.



“Although we will be without Jake for the rest of the season, his absence creates an opportunity for another defender to come in to the team. We look forward to Jake returning fully fit for our 2019 season.”



Lever has played 66 AFL matches (56 with Adelaide Crows from 2015-17 and 10 with Melbourne this year).



He played in Adelaide’s Grand Final loss to Richmond last year, before joining Melbourne.



A NAB AFL Rising Star nominee in 2015, Lever was named in the 2017 All-Australian squad.



Although still only 22 years old, he is widely regarded as one of the best tall defenders in the competition.