RICHARD Douglas says Adelaide will look to its leaders to drive the Club’s improvement in the second half of the season.
While the 2010 club champion has enjoyed his best season since his best and fairest year, Douglas' teammates have struggled and the club risks missing the finals for the first time since 2010.
Adelaide currently sits in 11th place on the AFL ladder, two games out of the top eight. Finals are not out of the equation, but will only remain a possibility if Adelaide can find form immediately. Douglas said it was up to experienced Crows to lead the way.
"We've got too many guys out of form and especially our better players – that's on our leaders to change that," Douglas said.
"[They] need to find a way to get back into form and drag a few guys along as well.
"We've got a chance to play finals … we've got to win seven of the next 10, we believe it's a chance.
"If we can play our best footy we're still good enough."
The 26-year-old has averaged 23 possessions a game in 2013, two more than his club champion season.
Patrick Dangerfield has clearly taken his game to another level, but others in Adelaide's midfield have failed to do the same.
Douglas denied positional moves had unsettled the engine room this year, but said the side's defensive game wasn't up to scratch.
The Crows were cut to shreds by one of the competition's best defensive sides, the Sydney Swans, in round 11 and Douglas said it was an area that had to improve.
"Personnel wise I don't think it's changed too much, I think we've been scouted a lot more from the opposition," he said.
"Over the break we watched a bit of footy and there's things that we can do now to match it with the best."
Adelaide faces the dangerous Gold Coast this weekend, another team in the hunt for a spot in the finals.
The Suns have the easiest run home of any team in the AFL
"They're fast, they move the ball really well so if you give them a chance they can really run you off your legs," he said.
"We need to go up there and start really well which we have against them in the past. I still think if you can put them under pressure they can be vulnerable with the ball.”
