Jeremy Howe would not count on to be despatched ahead in Collingwood’s qualifying remaining in opposition to Melbourne.
But star Melbourne defender Jake Lever is greater than ready for the high-flying Magpie to aim to throw he and defensive accomplice Steven May off their intercepting video games on the MCG on Thursday night time.
Howe began his profession as a marking ahead at Melbourne earlier than settling down again, then shifting to Collingwood on the finish of 2015.
He has since established himself as one of many competitors’s prime intercept defenders.
Late this season, the 33-year-old was swung ahead to counter opponents’ prime interceptors, with Howe’s seven targets this yr his greatest tally since 10 in his remaining yr on the Demons.
But Howe performed down his possibilities of repeating that feat on Thursday night time on the MCG.
“I can’t imagine I’ll be playing forward,” Howe informed AAP.
“It was a bit of a short-term fix there for a while. We felt like we came up against probably a month block of some really strong intercept defenders.
“I do know Melbourne have gotten some. We’ll have a plan in place for Lever and May little doubt however yeah, I believe my time down the ahead line’s restricted.
“If they go to it, I’ll put my hand up to go down there for a short period of time but I won’t be starting down there anytime soon.”
Intercept king Lever is prepared for regardless of the Magpies throw at he and May, together with probably Howe, to wreck their rhythm.
“Most teams sort of have that player now, obviously we’ve used Jake Melksham in the past as that player,” Lever stated.
“But it’s not something that we’re going to be scared of.
“(We) perceive that it occurs most weeks, whether or not that is within the midfield or a few of our excessive backs this yr have performed actually good footy – Christian Salem, Trent Rivers so they generally get some consideration and we have simply started working by means of it.
“Every team does have someone like that but Jeremy Howe’s a pretty handy player at both ends so we’re going to expect that wherever he lines up, he’s going to play pretty well and we’ll just deal with it as it comes.
“But I believe that we have handled it more often than not this yr when it has come.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
