Central District considers return of Alan Obst for West Adelaide clash

KEY forward Alan Obst's name will be the focus of discussion at the Central District selection table this week ahead of Saturday's clash with West Adelaide.

Bulldogs consider Obst return

KEY forward Alan Obst's name will be the focus of discussion at the Central District selection table this week.

Obst successfully negotiated his return from a lengthy stint on the sidelines with a solid game in the reserves against Port Adelaide at Alberton on Sunday and will be considered for selection for the clash against West Adelaide at Elizabeth on Saturday. The Bulldogs are in desperate need of a key forward willing to crash packs and have a physical presence deep in attack. That was lacking in the 46-point win over the Magpies when Central had to shrug off a sloppy second-quarter performance to get the vital win and all but guarantee a spot in the finals. The Bulldogs have climbed three games plus a hefty percentage clear of sixth-placed Sturt and the Magpies. The Double Blues have only three games remaining while the Magpies have four matches but would need a miracle to jump into the top five Dogs coach Roy Laird said Obst would be monitored at training this week before a decision on a promotion to the league was considered. "We will see how he comes out of the game,'' Laird said immediately after the win over the Magpies. "He went pretty well in the reserves and we'll look at him this week.'' Obst missed three games with a cheek fracture and was then reported on his return to action in round nine. He served a four-week suspension before being sidelined with a calf problem. Laird said Luke Barmby was also a strong candidate for another opportunity at league level after solid form in the reserves. "West Adelaide had the weekend off and we had a good game against them last time so we expect them to fire up,'' Laird said. "We will meet any challenge head on at the moment. ''We've been playing some really good footy. "Take out the 0-4 (win-loss) start and we are 9-3. "Our footy was a bit off at different stages against Port Adelaide, but in the second half we finished full of running.''