Goodwin wants Lever confident for Demons return

Ed Jackson | June 28, 2025

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin says Saturday’s 19-point AFL loss to Gold Coast won’t change his plan to get premiership defender Jake Lever back feeling good about his game after a tough 2025.

The loss to the Suns was the Demons’ fourth in a row and all but extinguished any hope of finals football, leaving them 15th on the ladder and 16 points outside the eight.

Lever was one of three players axed by Goodwin for the trip to People First Stadium with the 29-year-old instead lining up for the Casey Demons in their 97-88 loss to the Suns in the VFL.

After a season where Lever has already missed eight games with an ankle injury before earning a recall to the AFL team a month ago, Goodwin said his omission was about giving him an opportunity to rediscover his best form.

“It’s just to get him back feeling good about his footy, back playing where you feel confident about your game,” Goodwin said.

“Sometimes you can do that at VFL level, and you come back a really much improved and confident player.

“He’s someone that we value highly. We expect him to come back soon.”

Regardless of Lever’s situation, Goodwin will almost certainly need to change his side for next weekend’s trip to Adelaide after losing Blake Howes and Harrison Petty to concussion in the first half of Saturday’s game.

It’s Petty’s second concussion of the season after his head collided with Brayden Fiorini’s hip while contesting for a loose ball.

Suns coach Damien Hardwick, whose primary concern was for Petty, did not however feel that Fiorini had done anything wrong in the incident.

“I hope he’s (Petty) okay, and I’m sure he will be but we teach our player that technique and look, accidents are going to happen in AFL,” Hardwick said.

“He (Fiorini) made a play on the ball. I thought he got his hands on the ball at the same time. I don’t think he has a case to answer.”