Veteran Crow Richard Douglas could spend more time on the half-back line next season as Adelaide looks to add flexibility to its line-up.

The 2010 Club Champion was a regular up forward for the Crows this year, kicking 19 goals, in addition to his expected stints in the midfield.

But now in the midst of his 12^th AFL pre-season, Douglas revealed he’s been training with Adelaide’s defensive group under line coach James Podsiadly as part of the Club’s plan to develop versatile, well-rounded players.

The 29-year-old said the modern game required all players to perform in multiple positions.

“I’ve been trying to develop a new string to my bow and learn a bit about the backline,” Douglas said on FIVEaa on Wednesday.

“(I’ve been) spending a bit more time with ‘Pods’ and our smaller backs, it’s exciting and it’s been refreshing for me because it’s somewhere I haven’t played a lot in the past.

“But it’s somewhere I played a lot in my junior football and my Under 18s. I’ve seen Michael Doughty do it really well from midfield to half-back in the latter stages of his career, as well as Brent Reilly and (Western Bulldogs veteran) Matty Boyd.

“It’s something I think I can add a bit to the team as well as allowing a few of our young mids to take more ownership in our midfield and drive the standards there.”

Douglas isn’t the only Crow training with a new group this summer.

He said several players had their sights set on expanding their roles next year.

“I think a midfielder will do a lot more training in either the backline or forward line this year,” Douglas said.

“For example, even Thommo has spent a bit of time across half-back at training already, and Sloaney will push forward as will the Crouch brothers and these types.

“Where the game’s going, you want to be able to play in a number of positions.

“We looked at the Bulldogs and how they did it last (season). They probably had at least 12 blokes that could rotate through their midfield and that becomes really hard to play against.

“That’s the level that we want to get to and try and build that depth in our midfield because we know that can be a real strength.”

Coach Don Pyke has already earmarked Adelaide’s work at the contest as an area for improvement this pre-season.

Douglas said the coaching group, and Pyke in particular, had set high expectations of the training standards required this summer.

“The demand has gone up on the group, particularly in our contest stuff - we need to get better in that,” he said.

“I think he’s probably more comfortable in the role and understands the Club a lot better now and each individual. His demand on the group has gone up, which you’d expect and which we want.

“Along with him and the leaders, we want to drive the standards of the footy club.”

Adelaide’s football department will break for Christmas next week before returning to training on January 9.