Richard Douglas (footballer)

Richard Douglas
Douglas playing for Adelaide in April 2017
Personal information
Full name	Richard Joseph Edwin Douglas
Date of birth	(1987-02-06) 6 February 1987 (age 37)
Place of birth	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Original team(s)	Broadford (HDFL) Calder Cannons (TAC Cup)
Draft	No. 16, 2005 national draft
Debut	Round 21, 2006, Adelaide vs. Port Adelaide, at AAMI Stadium
Height	181 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	80 kg (176 lb)
Position(s)	Midfielder / Forward
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
2006–2019	Adelaide	246 (164)
International team honours
Years	Team	Games (Goals)
2011	Australia	2 (1)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2019. 2 State and international statistics correct as of 2011.
Career highlights
Malcolm Blight Medal: (2010)
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Richard Joseph Edwin Douglas (born 6 February 1987) is a former Australian rules football player who played for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted by Adelaide with pick 16 in the 2005 national draft.

After impressing for Glenelg in the SANFL, Douglas made his AFL debut in round 21 of 2006, his first season, against Port Adelaide. He played two further games for the season, including a Qualifying Final. Douglas established himself in the side over the next two years, playing 13 games in 2007 and 22 of a possible 23 games in 2008.^{[citation needed]}

In June 2009, in the lead-up to Adelaide's clash with North Melbourne, Douglas had a scare when he began displaying symptoms consistent with the swine influenza pandemic, and was quarantined, along with teammate and housemate Tony Armstrong. On the night before the match, the test for swine flu came back negative; however, he did not play in the match.^[1] He returned to play the next match, although he was dropped from the side a few weeks later against Fremantle. He played 18 games in 2009 in total.^{[citation needed]}

In 2010, Douglas was given more responsibility in an injury-hit Adelaide side.^[2] He relished the opportunity, winning the 2010 Malcolm Blight Medal (club best and fairest award) and the Coaches' Award in a standout year in which he played all 22 matches and also signed a new contract with the club.^[3]

After struggling to find consistency due to injuries in 2011 and early 2012, Douglas began to recapture his 2010 form towards the end of 2012.^[4] He signed a new three-year contract with Adelaide in June 2012,^[5] and played his 100th AFL match shortly after, in round 12 against St Kilda.^[6] Douglas had one of his best years at the club in 2013, finishing runner-up in the Malcolm Blight Medal and being named in the preliminary All-Australian squad. He ranked third in the competition for inside 50s, eighth for goal assists, and was second at the club for disposals, marks and tackles.^[4]

Douglas suffered a potentially serious groin injury in a trial game in the 2014 pre-season, but he surprisingly returned just three weeks later, wearing a cricket box in a match against Port Adelaide and collecting 29 disposals.^[7] He missed another two matches early in the season due to suspension after concussing Greater Western Sydney captain Callan Ward with a head-high bump,^[8] but he played every match for the remainder of 2014, averaging 22 disposals and starring in his 150th match against Collingwood in round 18.^[4] Douglas had his 2015 season interrupted by a foot injury and then appendicitis,^[9][10] but performed strongly when fit.^[4] In June he signed a new three-year deal with Adelaide, joining teammate Rory Sloane in committing to the club until the end of 2018, and declaring himself as "a Crow for life".^[11]

Statistics are correct to end of round 12, 2016^[12]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Richard Douglas (footballer).

• Richard Douglas's profile on the official website of the Adelaide Football Club
• Richard Douglas's playing statistics from AFL Tables