BRISBANE'S Tom Doedee is a chance to play his first game in just over 12 months this weekend after overcoming a third knee reconstruction.
Doedee still has a few boxes to check and will be tested later in the week to assess his availability for Brisbane's VFL match against Richmond at Swinburne Centre on Saturday morning.
The Lions play the Tigers in the AFL at the MCG later that day.
Whether Doedee plays this week or next, it marks a significant step for the 28-year-old, whose one and only appearance in Brisbane colours was last March at the lower level.
He ruptured the ACL in his right knee with an innocuous incident at training the following week – two days before he was due to debut for the Lions against Collingwood on Easter Thursday.
It was the second time Doedee had torn that ACL, following a similar incident for Adelaide against Gold Coast in 2023.
He suffered the same injury to the left knee in 2019.
Doedee was recruited by Brisbane following its 2023 Grand Final loss to the Magpies with the hope the intercepting defender would add to its backline power.
Forcing his way into the best 23 will not be easy, with co-captain Harris Andrews, Jack Payne and evergreen Ryan Lester locking down the key defensive posts.
Brisbane confirmed on Monday afternoon it had extended the contracts of youngsters Shadeau Brain (2026) and Ty Gallop (2027) beyond their current deals.
