Jake Lever Biography

Jake Lever will be sidelined for up to six weeks after undergoing knee surgery on an existing issue.

“Over the last month, Jake’s been managing a knee issue, which we had been looking at possibly intervening with over the bye to allow him the best opportunity to maximize his footy at the back end of the year," Demons high performance manager Selwyn Griffith said.

Adelaide director Mark Ricciuto says that the Crows were content to let Lever go to Melbourne for the price he was commanding at the time in 2017.

"Jake Lever got a five-year deal (at Melbourne) on $800-850,000 (per season). (I'm) very comfortable we let him go on that money. He's probably a $500,000 player," Ricciuto said.

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin, however, denies that Lever is being paid as much as has been quoted by Ricciuto.

"The thing we probably need to make sure is right is that the term of the contract's not right. The number's not right," Goodwin said.

"But also we actually love Jake. We want him at our footy club and we'd pay him whatever we want to pay him now to have him here."

The arrival of his first child, Jace, ten weeks ago has changed Jake Lever's perspective on life.

The suspension of the 2020 AFL season (due to the COVID-19 pandemic) has allowed Lever to spend more time with his son. However, he admits he is uncomfortable about being made to play in "hubs" (as part of the AFL's solution to the shutdown) and spending time away from his family.

"Your perspective on life changes (once you have a child). Every single father says it. I go and train, and I can't wait to get home and see Jace's smile on his face," Lever said.

"He's just started rolling over, from his stomach to his back, and I probably wouldn't have seen it if I was still doing the rigours and training of AFL footy.

"I miss going into the club every day and having face-to-face contact with people, which you take for granted, but it's been amazing to actually see Jase do those things, instead of probably watching him on video."

Taylor Walker expresses regret over being overly critical of former teammate Jake Lever's decision to leave the Crows for a bigger contract with the Demons in 2017.

"I've certainly been caught out in the industry wearing my heart on my sleeve probably too much. I was vocal about it, because I'm passionate, I'm loyal, I want people to stay at my footy club. It wasn't a personal attack at Jake, it was more about how much I loved him and wanted him to stay," Walker said.

With teammate and close friend Brad Crouch a free agent at the end of the 2020 season, Walker says he has learnt from the Lever period.

"Brad is one of my best mates, he knows how I feel, but in saying that, I've learnt - it is up to Brad," Walker said. "I'm not going to tell him what to do. It is up to Brad to decide where he thinks it is best for his future.

"Everything is on the table for him. The footy club is there to support him. If he stays, I'd love that. If he doesn't stay, that's up to him. I won't give him a send-off. I've learnt."

Jake Lever makes it through his comeback match in the VFL unscathed and remains focused on trying to return to the senior side in a fortnight against the Crows.

"I was a little nervous before the game, just having not played for so long," Lever said.

"Once I got out there and got involved in my first contest, I was ready to go and blew off a couple of cobwebs.

"It's just positive being out there and getting that one of out of the way, and hopefully moving onto next week."

Jake Lever is expecting to make a return via the VFL in a fortnight and is aiming to make his long-awaited senior return against his former club Adelaide in Darwin in round 11.

"It's a pretty exciting stage at the minute, about two weeks away from playing some limited game time in the VFL," Lever told Channel Seven.

"Hopefully maybe the Adelaide game, which would be fantastic, or Queen's Birthday. So two pretty big games that hopefully I come in for."

Jake Lever will travel to the United States as part of his rehabilitation from the second knee reconstruction of his career.

Lever, along with Demons physiotherapist Joel Ames, will visit renowned sports injury expert Bill Knowles in Philadelphia for one week as the star defender takes the next step in his recovery from the torn anterior cruciate ligament injury.

"Jake has progressed very well particularly since Christmas," Melbourne football operations manager Josh Mahoney said.

"We have previously used Bill when he saw Christian Petracca and we found that Christian gained confidence and strength in his knee, so we hope that Jake can get a bit out of it as well."

Melbourne sends Jake Lever in for a minor procedure to fix irritation caused by scar tissue around his reconstructed left knee.

"From all reports surgery (knee reconstruction) went well but he just went in today to clean up around that knee," Demons teammate Jordan Lewis said.

"It can become a little bit frustrating for him because he wants to get the ball rolling again and join back in with the main group, but from all reports he'll be back on Monday and straight back into rehab."

Jake Lever leaves the Melbourne's training session early after experiencing soreness in his reconstructed left knee.

Media have reported the issue relates to irritation from scar tissue around where the ligament in Lever's knee was reconstructed.

The star defender's ACL remains intact, with the club's medical staff to monitor his training load over the next week.

Jake Lever is set to take up a coaching role with the Demons as he recovers from a knee reconstruction.

"He'll come in regularly, he wants to be involved in the coaching," Melbourne head coach Simon Goodwin said.

"He's a good leader, he's a great educator, so as soon as he's up and feeling better and can move around then we'll get him back coaching."

Jake Lever says he didn't expect to receive news that he had ruptured his ACL again.

"It was a bit of shock for me. Initially I probably thought I didn't do anything too significant," Lever said.

"I just went to change direction and it kind of hurt and I was a bit shocked when the doctors and physio started testing my ACL in the rooms.

"When I got the scans you prepare yourself for the worst, but it still hurts when it hits you."

It is the second time the defender has torn the ACL in his left knee, with Lever having a knee reconstruction as a 17-year-old before being drafted by Adelaide with pick No.14 in the 2014 NAB AFL Draft.

"I haven't had any problems in four years. A lot of people (after suffering an ACL injury) have complications with swelling and things like that," Lever said.

"For me, over the last three to four years, I've had no problems with it, so, for me, it's about doing the rehab properly and taking my time and making sure when I do come back I'm bigger and better than ever."

Jake Lever will miss the remainder of the 2018 season after scans confirmed a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

"It is disappointing news that Jake will miss the rest of the 2018 season," Melbourne football manager Josh Mahoney said.

"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."

Scans are expected to confirm Jake Lever will require a second knee reconstruction after a seemingly innocuous incident during Melbourne's 49-point win over the Western Bulldogs.

Lever injured his left knee when he pushed off Marcus Bontempelli and quickly changed direction as the two went for the ball during the first quarter of the game at Etihad Stadium.

Following Melbourne's 91-point thrashing of his former side Adelaide, an in-form Jake Lever says initial expectations got to him during the earlier rounds of 2018.

"When I came over the trade was a massive deal and there was heaps of expectation," Lever said.

"I was as disappointed as anyone in the first four weeks, in terms of the way I was playing, but I think it might have been emphasised a bit more because the team wasn't going well as well.

"So it was just about getting back to basics, attacking the footy and just doing the things I do well, well."

Jake Lever insists his first meeting with his old club, Adelaide, is not a grudge match.

"Some of my best mates still play for Adelaide. For me it was never going to ruin any friendships or anything like that," Lever said.

"I'm sure there'll be a cheeky couple of texts this week. I'm just excited to go up to Alice Springs and play well hopefully and hopefully we get the four points."

Jake Lever reveals he has deleted his Twitter account after copping heavy criticism following his slow start with the Demons, saying that social media "does more harm than good".

"It is certainly not a place where players should be receiving the sort of feedback that they get," Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said in support of Lever.

"He made this decision a while ago and I think he's come back in some terrific form, so full credit to Jake."

Crows key defender Daniel Talia says the good form of Tom Doedee has alleviated any impact on the team's performance stemming from the departure of Jake Lever.

"Tom has been great these first four or five weeks and has fitted in and I think he’s done better than Lever," Talia said.

"He's affecting everything back there, fitting in the role and really dominating. We're not feeling the loss of Jake at the moment."

Melbourne co-captain Nathan Jones has offered an honest assessment of the form of off-season recruit Jake Lever, saying the defender's tenure at the club had got off to a "rocky start".

"He's probably been exposed in a couple of areas, and he's been tested and challenged coming into a new defensive group and system and (finding) where he fits in that," Jones said.

"He's not going terribly. But I think he'd be the first to admit that he wants to be playing better."

Media pundits have been critical of Jake Lever's performance in his first four games as a Demon.

"At the moment, he has a soft look about him. I know he's not a soft player, we've seen that at Adelaide," Brisbane legend Jonathan Brown said of Lever on Fox Footy.

"He's clearly bereft of confidence ... where his place is in defence. He looks confused."

In his first two games for the Demons, high-priced recruit Jake Lever has struggled in his new role as a one-on-one defender compared to being an elite third-man in defence for the Crows in 2017.

"He's come to a new club, he's playing in a backline and backlines are hard to jell these days," Melbourne vice-captain Jordan Lewis said of Lever.

"He's going to be a superstar, he was nearly All Australian last year. He's two games in so just be patient."

Adelaide coach Don Pyke says he had no issue with now-departed Jake Lever's committed to their Grand Final campaign in 2017.

"I had absolutely no problem that he was fully engaged in what we were trying to achieve," Pyke said.

"At the end of that game on Grand Final day, he shared the disappointment with the entire group completely because he was fully invested.

"He hadn't already decided he was going, he'd left and he'd already checked out - he was still with us."

Melbourne recruit Jake Lever says he doesn't expect there to be any lingering tension between him and Adelaide captain Taylor Walker after his controversial off-season move to the Demons.

While Walker stoked tensions by declaring Lever had chosen money over success in making the move, the elite defender said he was sure the pair would be able to put the issue behind them.

"He was disappointed, as he should be. He's the captain of the club and he probably doesn't want people leaving his football club," Lever said.

"If me and 'Tex' catch up for a beer maybe in a couple of years, I'm sure there's not going to be too many problems."

Speaking from personal experience, Jack Gunston says ex-Crow and Demon recruit Jake Lever should be prepared for some backlash when he plays returns to Adelaide.

"Footy is a passionate game and it has passionate supporters and players and people. No-one wants to see you leave their club," Gunston said.

"You're always going to have the haters who are going to say things and it's just a matter of handling it, moving on and going about your own business and playing your best footy at your new club.

"You've got to enjoy the ride and remember that you made the decision for a reason."

Melbourne and Adelaide complete a trade to send Jake Lever to Melbourne.

Melbourne will give up pick No.10 and its 2018 first-round and fourth-round selections. In addition to Lever, the Crows will gibe the Demons pick No.35 and their 2018 third-round selection.

Adelaide skipper Taylor Walker says Jake Lever's decision to leave the club was based on money.

"For Jake, I think the difference in money was a lot," Walker told Triple M radio.

"So if you're driven by money or if you're driven by success, that's a decision you need to make."

Two days after the Crows' 48-point Grand Final loss to the Tigers, Lever called Walker to inform him he would be requesting a trade to the Demons.

"I didn't have a crack at him, I was pretty honest because I don't like people leaving our footy club," Walker said.

"I don't think I was arrogant or aggressive towards him. I was probably blunt."

Wantaway defender Jake Lever was an absentee at the Crows' 2017 best and fairest count after being advised by the club not to attend.

"I'm not really sure what's been going on, but he's not here tonight," Crows best and fairest winner Matt Crouch said.

"It's always sad when blokes leave, especially when you're in a window for success. That's his decision and we'll move on as a footy club."

Josh Jenkins denies that the Adelaide players did not want Jake Lever as part of their finals campaign after the young defender made his decision to move to Melbourne known to the playing group.

"Players have the right to fulfill a contract and then leave. That's just the way the game goes," Jenkins said on 5AA radio.

"It's incredibly disappointing Jake has chosen to leave, don't get me wrong, but you can't question the way he played in the second half of the year."

Melbourne football manager Josh Mahoney says the club did not break the bank to lure Jake Lever over.

"Other clubs have offered more money than us for him to return to Victoria. It's within our pay scale and we are really comfortable with the offer we made," Mahoney said.

"He chose us based on the plan we got, the list we got and the improvements we have shown."

Jake Lever informs the Crows of his intention to return home to Victoria after months of speculation about his future.

Melbourne is believed to be Lever's club of choice with Adelaide expected to demand two first round draft picks in exchange.

Jake Lever admits to having already agreed on a deal with Melbourne.

"They're young, they're exciting – especially to watch – and they've shown great interest in me and I think I'd feel comfortable at the Melbourne footy club," Lever said.

However, Adelaide head of football Brett Burton says the club are open to offers from all clubs.

"He's not a free agent, he's a third-year player. Anyone that wants to trade for Jake Lever, we're open to," Burton said.

"It's irrelevant to myself and the Adelaide Football Club where he wants to go to."

Melbourne have offered a four-year deal to Lever believed to be worth $3.5 million. It was an offer the Crows were not prepared to match.

"The offer, if we matched what Melbourne were offering him, would've made him the highest-paid player at our footy club," Burton said.

Media reports that the Western Bulldogs are out of the race for out-of-contract Adelaide defender Jake Lever.

The Western Bulldogs are one of at least three Victorian clubs linked to Lever with Melbourne and Collingwood confirming in recent weeks they would be interested if he decided to return to Victoria.

Speculation on the future of out-of-contract Adelaide star Jake Lever has intensified after he pulled out of a pre-existing fortnightly media commitment with for the rest of the season.

Former Adelaide skipper Mark Bickley and foundation Crow Stephen Rowe announced on their afternoon sports show on radio station FIVEaa on Monday that Lever wouldn't be appearing so he could concentrate on the finals.

It was claimed the decision for Lever to step down from his commitments came from his management.

Still yet to sign with the Crows, Jake Lever denies reports he met with Melbourne officials.

"The things that get reported, you almost chuckle about it and you just know these things aren't true," Lever said.

"Obviously, there's speculation and that sort of stuff, but as a person, myself and the people who are close to me know that I didn't do it, and that's the most important thing."

Lever continues to maintain he will not be rushed into a decision and may even put talks off until the end of the year.

"It's not just about team success, it's not just about money, it's not just about your family, it's probably a combination of three or four things," he said.

"The club might come to me and sort of put it on me to put it off until the end of the year."

Adelaide chief executive Andrew Fagan says he wouldn't be fazed to learn that Jake Lever has been meeting with rival clubs.

Reports surfaced last week that Lever had met with officials from Melbourne, ramping up speculation the talented defender is set to leave the Crows at the end of the year.

"We kind of assume people will go through a really thorough decision-making process and engage with their families and engage with their partners and engage with other football clubs and engage with their manager and engage with us as a footy club," Fagan said.

"That's actually to be expected."

In-demand Adelaide defender Jake Lever has reportedly met face to face with Melbourne officials in recent weeks.

Lever has reportedly also attracted interest from Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs, while the Crows have tabled him an offer.

"The club does not provide on-going commentary about contract negotiations and/or speculation in the marketplace," a spokesman from the Crows said.

Jake Lever says he is waiting for his manager to return from overseas before resuming contract talks with the Crows.

Adelaide has put an offer to in-demand defender Jake Lever, but he's in no rush to sign on the dotted line as rival clubs line up for his services.

"The Crows have tabled something, so it's about talking about it with my manager and (partner) Jess and deciding," Lever told radio station 5AA.

"I haven't put a timeline on it; whenever it gets done, it gets done.

"It's important to think about everything and get everything negotiated."

With the collective bargaining agreement finally signed off, Adelaide will ramp up efforts to re-sign out-of-contract stars Jake Lever and Mitch McGovern.

"It gives that certainty, we know what we're dealing with," Crows coach Don Pyke said.

"Both those guys have indicated a really strong desire to stay, we'll keep working with them to try and finalise something."

Off-contract Adelaide defender Jake Lever is waiting for the collective bargaining agreement between the AFL and the AFL Players' Association to be finalised before signing on the dotted line for next year.

The 21-year-old will be hot property the longer he remains unsigned.

Lever said he hadn't put contract talks with the Crows on hold, but he wanted to know what the salary cap was going to be next year before committing his future.

"In terms of my contract status, I'm sort of waiting for the CBA to be done, but my manager is in constant talks with the club," Lever told 5AA.

"With the CBA not being done, it's almost like you're building the house without a budget, so you don't really know what you're working with.

"I'm happy here and hopefully it gets done sooner rather than later."

Jake Lever will be sidelined for three weeks after sustaining a minor hamstring strain at training.

"Jake has a minor hamstring strain which will keep him out for three weeks,"Crows general manager of high performance Matt Hass said.

"We expect him to be fit in time for our last JLT Community Series game against Brisbane."

Jake Lever falls out of contract at the end of 2017 but says he has no intention of leaving Adelaide.

"Adelaide is a great place. I live in Glenelg, which is one of the nicer suburbs, and where I am from in country Victoria there are not too many beaches. Plus I’m doing something I love," Jake Lever told News Corp.

"Melbourne is where the family is and it is great to go back and see them, but Adelaide has been great and I've loved every minute of it."

The AFL releases a statement after News Corp published details of a submission the Bulldogs made during the investigation into Michael Talia in 2015.

The leaked documents detail several accusatory claims about the leaking of inside information to the Crows prior to the elimination final between the two clubs, implicating Talia and various Crows players including Daniel Talia, Kyle Cheney and Jake Lever.

"In this matter, the AFL received numerous submissions and conducted a broad range of interviews," a statement from the AFL read.

"The documents made public today are only one side of the story, and their publication is unfair to all parties involved."

After suffering a serious ankle injury in the Crows' loss to Sydney, Jake Lever will be in a moon boot for the next four weeks and will not be able to run for six weeks as he recovers from the ligament damage.

Jake Lever says he is relieved to have kicked his first AFL goal.

Lever produced a sensational dummy past not one, but two Dockers players, before slotting truly from 45m in last week's 72-point win against Fremantle.

"I still probably can't believe it,'' Lever said.

''I thought I'd go my whole career without kicking one. 'There was a bit of a running joke within the club, but I'm glad it just went through.''

Jake Lever says being dropped for Adelaide's final in 2015 against the Bulldogs pushed him to work hard in the pre-season to increase his versatility as a defender.

"With the Bulldogs' small forward line, the match committee went with Kyle Cheney, which was the right decision, but it gave me a big driving force throughout the off-season to work harder and come back this year and make sure it doesn't happen again,'' Lever said.

"At the moment, I'm a third tall, so I need to be able to play on that tall bloke or the resting ruckman who might come down, but also being able to play on that medium-sized small forward."

Jake Lever says he wants to continue developing his leadership skills at Adelaide under the tutelage of fellow Crow defender Daniel Talia.

"Tarls is a fantastic leader down there…even though he's young he really took hold of the backline [last year]," Lever said.

"It's something that I would like to learn off him; leadership is something that I think I could provide for the team."

Jake Lever says he is pleased at being able to do a full pre-season after being eased into it last year.

"I think I got looked after pretty well, I wasn't as tired as I thought I might have been," Lever said about his pre-season last year.

"You sort of feel guilty when you're on the sidelines as a first-year player and all the other blokes are running two more sets than you … it's relieving [now] to know that you're doing all the work. "

Lever says missing out on playing finals in 2015 with the Crows is his primary motivation for 2016.

"Every time I'm struggling with the running and hear about football, it just always comes back to that finals game, missing out," he said.

"It's a driving force for me and I just want to get out there to not only play football during the year, but to get to September and hopefully play four finals."

Adelaide has been so impressed with defender Jake Lever it has rewarded him with a contract extension in his debut season.

Taken by the Crows with pick No.14 in last year's NAB AFL Draft, the 19-year-old was already contracted next year but has agreed to an additional season.

He's played nine games this year and his leadership and composure has stood out.

"When I first got here I had to adjust to the AFL lifestyle of training every day and backing it up each week," Lever said.

"Since I've come to the club the players and the coaches have been fantastic for my development and I look forward to continuing to improve."

Crows head of football David Noble said the teenager's maturity was outstanding for a player of his age.

"Jake brings a calm, composed element to the defensive group with a competitive edge that we love," Noble said.

"His work ethic is outstanding, he fits well into our team-first environment and has all the hallmarks of being a long-term player for our club."

Jake Lever is recognised for his standout performance in Adelaide's win over Gold Coast with a NAB Rising Star nomination.

Lever amassed a career-high 24 possessions at an elite efficiency rate of 91.7 per cent.

He demonstrated his ability to read the play, winning more intercept possessions (14) than any player in the competition in Round 17. The competitive teenager took a team-high 10 marks, including six intercept marks, and generated an equal-round high seven rebound 50ms.

"Lever is growing week by week," interim coach Scott Camporeale said.

"He's going to be a 200-game player of this footy club.

"He's a real leader. He's a competitor and I just love the way he goes about it."

Lever's maturity and leadership has played a large part in his immediate impact at senior level, with coaches and teammates alike praising the 19-year-old's ability to set the tone in his seven games.

It's not something Lever actively thinks about – although he admits he's one of the most vocal come game day.

"I think [it just comes naturally], I don't try to think too much about it," he said.

"Everyone's a leader out on the field, mine might just stand out a little bit more because I might be a bit louder."

Jake Lever says having Daniel Talia alonside him in Adelaide's backline has been of great benefit to his development as an AFL defender.

"He's obviously a fantastic player and just the way he goes about his football and his preparation, he's a perfect role model for me," Lever said.

"He doesn't sugar-coat anything. If I don't concentrate for one or two minutes of the game you can really get blown out of the game, in a sense.

"He's always tells me to concentrate and he's always reminding me on-field."

Adelaide defence coach Darren Milburn says Jake Lever will be a gun for the Crows as he continues to develop.

"Jake's come off a knee reco in under-18s footy and he's come into a new environment but every week he's getting better and better. I think he's going to be a fantastic player for a long time," Milburn said.

"We didn't expect him to play as many games as he has so far but I think he'll be a 200-game player for the footy club. He shows all the attributes to be a great defender and the other thing that makes him stand out is that he likes to lead the group.

"He's good in traffic, he will take his opponents on and try to beat them but he's still got enough poise to get rid of the footy when he has to."

After four games of senior football, Jake Lever says he is not intimidated by the challenge of senior football.

Lever says his confidence is boosted by the support his teammates offer.

"They're very good players but I like to think that with our team-first mentality I get an all-round effort from the team defensively – I get a lot of help from blokes like Kyle Cheney, Rory Laird," Lever said.

"It's not just me jumping into them – or them jumping into me – it's been a really good effort defensively from [those] blokes.

"It's not daunting, I just like to take the challenge each week and get good help."

Jake Lever makes his AFL debut for Adelaide with 17 disposals (12 kicks and 5 handballs), 10 marks and 3 tackles in a 41-point win over Gold Coast.

Daniel Talia says Adelaide draftee and teammate Jake Lever is on the verge of making his debut with the Crows who are currently short on key defenders.

"I've been doing a lot of work with 'Jakey' - he's obviously an impressive young backman and is probably a key defender who will be in the mix this week," Talia said.

"He played really well in the SANFL … Jake's been impressive from the first day he walked into the club, (with) his attitude and professionalism and the way he wants to improve.

"He's got a good mix actually, he's kind of a tall defender who can shut a guy down but who can also run off and get the ball.

"You always want a guy who can compete and Jake's certainly one of those guys."

Jake Lever says his reconstructed left knee is ready to withstand the rigours of full-scale match practice.

"It hasn't given me any troubles at the moment, so I'm just looking forward to continuing on and hopefully getting no other injuries," Lever said about his knee.

"Obviously, the first-years always get eased in and we're just being eased in at the moment, but over the next two to three weeks we'll be back into the match practice and getting more exposed to it.

"Obviously a year out of the game is a long time and I just can't wait to challenge myself with some of the boys out there. I'm raring to go."

First round Crow draftee says his knee has not significantly affected his pre-season training with the club.

"I haven't been restricted at all, I've done whatever the first-year players are meant to do," Lever said.

"Probably the only thing I've been eased back into is the contact stuff."

Crows first round draftee Jake Lever will wear the number made famous by the club's former star forward Tony Modra - No.6.

The Crows select Jake Lever with their first pick in the 2014 NAB AFL Draft at pick No.14.

"He's a really competitive key defender. We know that historically he marshalls the troops down at the defensive end. It's the perfect fit for us," Crows list manager David Noble said.

After swapping draft picks with Geelong to move down in the first round of the 2014 NAB AFL Draft from 10 to 14, Adelaide says it still would have picked Jake Lever with pick 10.

"We knew there was a big spread of equal talent, so therefore we knew we would be able to land some really good talent in that back end," Crows list manager David Noble said.

"We have a lot of confidence in our systems and our guys with our talent ID and we knew that a slide from 10 to 14 would not necessarily massively hurt us if it allowed us to bring a couple of other things forward as part of the overall strategy."

Draft prospect Jake Lever says he is not a risky pick for club's in the 2014 draft despite having undergone a knee reconstruction.

"I don't think I'm more of a risk than anyone else even though I had had a knee reconstruction. I'd never had any knee problems beforehand – it just happened," Lever said.

"It does annoy me a bit, especially when you get a question from a club like 'If we take you, is your knee going to hold up?' I can't tell them the answer. But I know I've done everything I possibly can to make it 100 per cent. I'm as confident as anyone."