Adelaide’s Douglas could make AFL return

Adelaide midfielder Richard Douglas could return from a two-match absence for Saturday night’s AFL game against Brisbane.

Douglas, who had appendix surgery on August 3, completed training this week, leaving caretaker coach Scott Camporeale with a selection conundrum: does he change his side that won by 112 points last start?

“It’s a tough caper this one but obviously Dougie is a quality player and going into the rest of the season is important to us,” Camporeale told reporters on Thursday.

The Crows, winners in four of their past five games, sit in eighth spot with games against the lowly Lions, West Coast and Geelong to come.

Camporeale cited a healthy playing list as a main factor behind Adelaide’s surge, which has also come amid the July 3 death of their coach Phil Walsh.

“They know that if they don’t perform on the weekend they are under real pressure to hold their spot,” the interim coach said.

“We’ll pick the best team on form and to win against the opposition, we have always done that.

“And if we keep winning, there’s the opportunity to play finals.

“So all those things are critical and I doubt that there would be mental lapse having those three things in front of mind.”

Camporeale said the selection squeeze was helping focus his players, who belted Essendon by 112 points last Saturday in what became James Hird’s last match as Bomber coach.

“The way we have pressed and pressured opposition teams in the last three or four weeks is the standard we want to keep getting to,” Camporeale said.

“That is finals-type footy.

“And we understand that is something we need to keep working on to make it consistent.”

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