Riley Knight feels he’s grown as a person and as a player after overcoming a frustrating and lengthy stint on the sidelines.

Knight was one of Adelaide’s great success stories last season.

The hard-running half-forward broke through to make his AFL debut last year against West Coast in Round 15 in the Club’s emotional trip to Perth. Knight retained his place for the rest of the season and played a key role in Adelaide’s clutch Elimination Final victory over the Western Bulldogs at the MCG.

Ironically, Knight’s breakout 2015 season came after he recovered from pre-season ankle surgery.

But that made it even more difficult to swallow early this year when the 21-year-old was struck down by a nerve issue in his foot and ankle which again required surgery.

Knight finally returned to action on Saturday against Norwood after a 104-day wait between games, and said the hardship had helped him mature on and off the field.

“Injuries are part of footy. You can't really help them, it’s more about how you go about dealing with them and how you come back from them,” Knight told afc.com.au.

“When you have such a long period off and you can’t get around the boys as much as you’d like to, you really start to appreciate the little things.

“I did my best to improve in other areas that I could still work on while in rehabilitation. In the last few weeks, it’s just been great to be out training with the boys again and getting around all the hard work, fun and banter that we all have out there.

“Hopefully I’ve had my share of injuries now and I can stay on the park for a bit longer.”

Knight was regularly rotated on and off the bench during Saturday’s clash with the Redlegs. He still managed to collect 21 possessions, seven inside 50ms and also kicked a goal to be a solid contributor in Adelaide’s victory at Coopers Stadium.

He didn’t show it, but Knight admitted to being a bit nervous in the lead up to his first game in more than three months.

“I didn’t get much sleep last night!” he said.

“Turning up here today, I just wanted to play my role and get back in the swing of things. It was good to get the kms in the legs again.

“Hopefully next week I can build on that and look to go to another level again and continue to do my part for the team.”

SANFL Stats: Round 20

Saturday’s win over the Redlegs secured a new slice of history for the Club.

Adelaide is now safe inside the SANFL’s top five and will play finals for the first time since entering the competition in 2014.

“The boys are looking forward to it, and the Club’s in a really strong position at both levels going forward,” Knight said.

“We still need to finish off the minor round well, but the strength of both sides at the moment is great. We’ve got next to no injuries, and the Club’s in a really good spot.

“There are opportunities for guys who perform in the SANFL and I think that’s what’s driving the senior guys up top too. They know the guys underneath them are all driving for a spot.

“Everyone’s game has gone to a new level this year and it’s been great to watch. Hopefully we can go deep into September with both sides.”