Nathan van Berlo has praised the commitment of promoted rookie Jake Kelly, saying he’s never seen a player work as hard as the rapidly-improving 20-year-old.

The son of Collingwood and Norwood great Craig, Kelly was rookie-listed by Adelaide in December, 2013, after being overlooked as a Father-Son selection by the Magpies.

In his first season at West Lakes, Kelly played every game for the Club’s SANFL team, finishing equal-runner up in the best and fairest award. He led the SANFL Crows for marks and averaged 16 possessions, while also shutting down some of the League’s best forwards.

The 189cm, 85kg, left-footer was selected to play his first NAB Challenge game in Port Lincoln earlier this year, and held his spot for all three pre-season matches. Last month, Kelly was promoted to Adelaide’s senior list and made his AFL debut against Melbourne in Round Three.

Kelly was initially called up to replace Kyle Cheney, who missed two weeks with a hamstring strain, but has held his spot even after Cheney’s return. On Saturday night, the dedicated defender played the best game of his short career, collecting 19 possessions and an equal-game high 12 marks.

Van Berlo said Kelly’s smooth transition to AFL level was reward for effort.

“Jake’s a great story for us,” van Berlo said.

“You probably don’t get an appreciation of just how far he’s come since he got to the footy club. I haven’t seen a guy work as hard as Jake has over the 18 months that he’s been here. The amount of extra work he’s put in and the attitude he has towards his training and his lifestyle away from footy –he’s one of the most committed young players I’ve seen.

“It’s no surprise that when he’s had his opportunity he’s come in and been able to play his role for us."

Kelly, who admits he was never the “most talented kid”, has always had to work hard.

In his first week at the Club, Kelly earned the nickname ‘Bull’ after going like a bull at a gate, even during the warm-up, at training. He’s worked tirelessly on several areas of his game, including his kicking, which was reflected in his 89.5 disposal efficiency rate against Gold Coast.

Van Berlo said Kelly had a tendency to work ‘too hard’ at times.

“Jake’s spent a lot of time working on his kick and other areas of his game to the point where we’ve had to pull him back at times because he’s so keen to get out there and improve, which is a great sign,” he said.

“You’d much rather have that work ethic instilled than having to push someone and encourage them to do extra work. His mindset from day one when he got here was to sit down and learn as much as he could.

“He lives at Patrick Dangerfield’s house, which Danger calls ‘The Performance Centre’, so I think ‘Danger’ tries to take a bit of credit … and Jake probably does the dishes every night!

“Jake’s come a long way and it’s a credit to him.”

Another ‘Jake’, draftee Jake Lever, made his debut in Adelaide’s backline on the weekend.

Kelly and Lever have more in common than just their first names.

The pair share the same work ethic and fierce determination to succeed.

Lever might be more naturally talented, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t worked hard.

The 19-year-old's professionalism and attention to detail already borders on elite.

After his first SANFL trial game this year, Lever headed to the beach to wade in the cold water and followed up with an early-morning ice bath at the Club the next morning. He took with him younger brother Tyson, who is a member of the Calder Cannons Under-16 squad.

Lever has also had to overcome setbacks, having missed all of last season with a knee injury. The ruptured ACL saw him slide from a prospective top-three pick to No.14, where Adelaide pounced. The mature teenager used the 12 months out of the game to improve his game knowledge, and showed leadership despite being sidelined.

Van Berlo said a highlight of Lever’s game was his competitiveness.

“The competitive nature Jake (Lever) has is scary at times,” he said.

“Jake is probably not far off Jake Kelly in terms of how he’s come in. It’s outstanding the way he’s able to get out there and compete with the bigger boys. He just wants to prove himself and do the extra work.

“When you see guys come in with that sort of attitude and really buy into what we’re about as a team, it’s no surprise that they’re able to get an opportunity and when they do, make the most of it.

“It was great to see the smile on his face after the game. It was probably, if not, the best day of his life and it was great to see his proud family there as well.

“The signs are good early for those two (Lever and Kelly). We just need to make sure we keep giving them the support they need to play at the level.”