First-year Crow Jake Lever answers questions from supporters in our Fans-on-One column. Adelaide’s first draft pick last November, Lever made his AFL debut in round six.

Jack Gordon: At what age did you dream of being an AFL footballer? What wise words would you say to a nine-year-old player?

I was like any young kid dreaming to one day play AFL, but it didn’t start becoming a reality until I was about 16 or 17. I’d tell young players to just follow their dreams and never give it up. There are so many different stories at the Club and everyone has come here on a different path.

Marc Wojkow: A lot of fans are comparing you to a young Ben Hart. Which Crows legend do you hope to model your game around?

I didn’t get to see Ben Hart play much, but from what I’ve heard he was a very good player. It’s an honour to be compared to him, but a modern player who I work alongside a lot and try to model my game on is Daniel Talia.

Adriano Rotolo: What gives you such great composure for such a young player?

I don’t really know! I guess I just take my time with the ball I try not to rush myself too much. When you watch footy on TV sometimes the players have a bit more time than they probably think they do, so I tend to take my time with the ball and try not to get caught.

Maddy Williams: What is your pre-game ritual/routine?

I usually try to have a bit of a sleep-in the day of a game. If it’s a night game, I’ll eat pasta for lunch. I have a couple of other superstitions too; I wear the same underwear for each game and put my left sock and left boot on first.

Julie Bedford: Has Adelaide lived up to your expectations as a Club and a place to live?

It definitely has. It’s been fantastic coming here. The Club has been brilliant with every single thing that I’ve wanted to do on and off the field.  I’m just learning how to get around Adelaide a bit better now. It’s been a good experience so far.

John Bajszi: Have you ever played in the forward line or anywhere other than in defence?

When I was about 16 years old I played in the forward line, but I couldn’t get a kick there so they sent me back. But other than that, I’ve always played at centre half-back. I think there was a period where I kicked 10 goals plus four weeks in a row with Romsey, but it wasn’t against high quality opposition…

Emily Bloomberg: What was your first reaction when you found out your were making your AFL debut?

Excitement. I didn’t have any idea or little feeling at all that I would be making my debut so early in the season. I was just focused on getting back to playing footy again. I rang Mum, Dad and my girlfriend and the whole week was just so exciting. It was the best experience of my life so far.

Bruce Rock: What would you do if you weren’t playing footy?

I’d just be a tradesman I reckon. I’d probably be a carpenter with one of my mates.

Daniel Goodfellow: Why is your nickname ‘Snake’? Is there a story behind it?

No, there’s not. I get asked this a lot, but it’s basically just because it rhymes. My Dad and his mates used to call me ‘Snake’ when I was younger, but it didn’t follow me to footy until I was about 15 or 16 and it’s stuck ever since.

Marty Beager: Which opposition player do you look forward to matching up on one day?

I’d love to play on ‘Buddy’ Franklin. We play Sydney later in the season and that would be a fantastic challenge to play on him. He is a brilliant player and it’d be a great test.

Danni Fulcher: Who of your current teammates do you look up to the most and aspire to be like?

Daniel Talia is definitely the best example, purely based on a few things that I pride myself on like professionalism, competitiveness and leadership. He’s been really good this year with our young backline, especially after Jaenschy went down. He helps everyone. He doesn’t just focus on his own game, he’s really team orientated and that’s one of his best qualities.

Maylin Chhoy: Who was your football hero growing up and why?

I was a Sydney supporter, so I loved Barry Hall. He was my favourite player just because he kicked lots of goals. He was very aggressive and loved his boxing, and so do I.

Brett Smith: What’s been the best and the toughest part of your time at the Crows so far?

The toughest part was early on just adapting to training every day. Coming from the U18s, we only trained twice a week. Obviously you did your own stuff, but it’s still something that I’ve had to get used to. It’s also the best thing about being here though, because every day you’re here at the Club doing something that you love. I’ve also formed some great friendships and I love the camaraderie around the locker room including all the pranks and jokes with the boys.

Sam Halliman: You’ve been described as a young leader, has that come naturally to you?

I think so. I’m a bit of a loudmouth out on the field so I try to put that to good use. That’s just part of me. For me, playing good footy is trying to do everything right and I guess people look up to that.

Tim Readling: What do you get up to outside of football?

Not a lot actually! I just go home usually and sit on the couch. I love ‘Friends’ and ‘Two And A Half Men’ so I spend some time catching up on them. But other than that, I just hang out with mates, whether that’s grabbing a bite to eat or going out with my girlfriend somewhere. We live down at Glenelg, so in the summer it’s always good to go to the beach but in the winter it’s not so great!

Dan Klingberg: What’s been the best advice you’ve been given so far since coming to the Club, and by whom?

It was actually from Walshy and he said it to the whole group. He said ‘play the game as a sprint’, which really describes how I like to play my footy. James Podsiadly also gave us a speech on our careers as a whole and the first thing he said was ‘you’re the CEO of your own career, and your body is your asset’, and that really stuck for me.