- Hawthorn drops four including Ben McEvoy
- Collingwood loses six, five of them due to injury
- Angus Monfries and Jackson Trengove return for Port
HAWTHORN has swung the axe ahead of its blockbuster clash with Geelong at the MCG on Saturday night, dropping four players as it welcomes back premiership stars Jarryd Roughead and Brad Sewell.
The Hawks reacted strongly to their loss to Fremantle last Sunday, with Ben McEvoy, Ryan Schoenmakers, Taylor Duryea and Tim O'Brien all omitted.
Matt Spangher and Jonathon Ceglar also come into Hawthorn's team, while arch rival Geelong has been bolstered by the return of Jimmy Bartel (corked thigh) and Jordan Murdoch (hip) from injury.
The Cats dropped Billie Smedts and Jed Bews from the team that fell over the line against Carlton last Friday night.
Collingwood has made six changes to the team that was thrashed by the Brisbane Lions last Saturday night, with five of those forced by injury.
Travis Cloke (ankle), Dayne Beams (knee), Ben Reid (hamstring), Heritier Lumumba (leg), Alan Toovey (groin) will all be sidelined for this Saturday's clash with Greater Western Sydney, while Ben Kennedy was omitted.
Captain Scott Pendlebury returns from a corked quad, with Sam Dwyer, Jesse White, Josh Thomas, Tom Langdon and debutant Jackson Ramsay also coming into the Pies' team.
The Giants lose skipper Callan Ward (calf) and key forward Jonathon Patton (anterior cruciate ligament) to injury, with veteran Josh Hunt and Tim Golds their replacements.
North Melbourne has replaced suspended stars Brent Harvey and Daniel Wells with key defender Lachlan Hansen, who returns after two weeks out with a hip injury, and forward Kayne Turner for its clash with Adelaide at Blundstone Arena on Saturday.
The Crows welcome back veterans Scott Thompson and Ben Rutten along with Rory Laird, with David Mackay (concussion), Sam Shaw (hamstring) and Mitchell Grigg (omitted) going out of the side.
The Western Bulldogs have sprung a major surprise, dropping last year's All Australian ruckman Will Minson from their team to take on the Sydney Swans at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
The Dogs also omitted Jarrad Grant, while including Jackson Macrae, Ayce Cordy, Jason Tutt, Nathan Hrovat, and Lin Jong in their squad of 25.
The Swans lose Josh Kennedy (hamstring) and Craig Bird (knee) to injury, but Tom Mitchell could make his long-awaited return after being named in the extended squad.
Rhyce Shaw, Nick Smith, Tim Membrey and Toby Nankervis were the Swans' other inclusions.
Port Adelaide will be bolstered by the return from injury of key defender Jackson Trengove and Angus Monfries for their clash with Carlton at Adelaide Oval on Friday night, with Tom Logan and Aaron Young making way for the star pair.
The Blues have lost Dale Thomas (knee) to injury, along with David Ellard (ankle), but Troy Menzel (AC joint) has been named.
Carlton will give Nick Holman his AFL debut against the Power, while Kane Lucas and Blaine Johnson will also return. Dennis Armfield was omitted.
Essendon regains key forward Jake Carlisle from a back injury for its game against Gold Coast at Etihad Stadium on Saturday, but loses star midfielder Dyson Heppell to a hand injury.
The Bombers dropped midfielder Jake Melksham and have recalled small forward Orazio Fantasia.
The Suns will be without key forward Charlie Dixon (quad) and have dropped Louis Herbert, bringing in Matt Shaw and Charlie Cameron.
Mark LeCras returns from a calf injury for West Coast's clash with Melbourne at Patersons Stadium on Saturday, with Simon Tunbridge making way.
Melbourne has dropped Aiden Riley and Dom Barry in the wake of its disastrous loss to Greater Western Sydney last Sunday, with Jack Grimes ruled out with a hamstring injury.
The Demons have recalled Rohan Bail, Jack Fitzpatrick and Cameron Pedersen.
Ash McGrath comes into the Brisbane Lions' team for his farewell game, against Fremantle at the Gabba on Sunday.
Ryan Lester, Nick Robertson and Zac O'Brien have also come into the Lions' extended squad, while Marco Paparone will miss with a shoulder injury.
Fremantle has lost Nat Fyfe (suspension) and Michael Barlow (thumb), but has regained star forward Hayden Ballantyne.
The Dockers also named Garrick Ibbotson, Nick Suban, Matt de Boer and Jack Hannath in their extended squad.
St Kilda pair Spencer White and Lewis Pierce could make their AFL debuts against Richmond at the MCG on Sunday after being named in the Saints' extended squad along with Clinton Jones and Brodie Murdoch.
The Saints dropped Josh Saunders.
The Tigers named Aaron Edwards, Reece Conca (after a two-match suspension) and Matt Dea in their 25-man squad, but are yet to make any changes to the team that defeated Adelaide last Saturday night.
Friday, August 22
Port Adelaide v Carlton at Adelaide Oval, 7.20pm ACST
Port Adelaide
In: A.Monfries, J.Trengove
Out: T.Logan, A.Young
Carlton
In: K.Lucas, N.Holman, B.Johnson
Out: D.Thomas (knee), D.Armfield, D.Ellard (ankle)
New: Nick Holman (Murray U18)
Saturday, August 23
North Melbourne v Adelaide at Blundstone Arena, 1.45pm AEST
North Melbourne
In: L.Hansen, K.Turner
Out: D.Wells (suspension), B.Harvey (suspension)
Adelaide
In: S.Thompson, B.Rutten, R.Laird
Out: D.Mackay (concussion), S.Shaw (hamstring), M.Grigg
Essendon v Gold Coast at Etihad Stadium, 2.10pm AEST
Essendon
In: J.Carlisle, O.Fantasia
Out: J.Melksham, D.Heppell (hand)
Gold Coast
In: M.Shaw, C.Cameron
Out: C.Dixon (quad), L.Herbert
Greater Western Sydney v Collingwood at Spotless Stadium, 4.40pm AEST
GWS
In: J.Hunt, T.Golds
Out: C.Ward (calf), J.Patton (knee)
Collingwood
In: S.Dwyer, J.White, S.Pendlebury, J.Thomas, T.Langdon, J.Ramsay
Out: H.Lumumba (leg), B.Reid (hamstring), T.Cloke (ankle), A.Toovey (groin), D.Beams (knee), B.Kennedy
New: Jackson Ramsay (East Perth)
West Coast v Melbourne at Patersons Stadium, 5.40pm AWST
West Coast
In: M.LeCras
Out: S.Tunbridge
Melbourne
In: R.Bail, J.Fitzpatrick, C.Pedersen
Out: J.Grimes (hamstring), A.Riley, D.Barry
Hawthorn v Geelong at the MCG, 7.40pm AEST
Hawthorn
In: B.Sewell, J.Roughead, M.Spangher, J.Ceglar
Out: B.McEvoy, R.Schoenmakers, T.Duryea, T.O’Brien
Geelong
In: J.Bartel, J.Murdoch
Out: B.Smedts, J.Bews
Sunday, August 24
Brisbane Lions v Fremantle at the Gabba, 1.10pm AEST
Brisbane Lions
In: A.McGrath, R.Lester, N.Robertson, Z.O’Brien
Out: M.Paparone (shoulder)
Fremantle
In: G.Ibbotson, H.Ballantyne, N.Suban, M.de Boer, J.Hannath
Out: N.Fyfe (suspension), M.Barlow (thumb)
Western Bulldogs v Sydney Swans at Etihad Stadium, 3.20pm AEST
Western Bulldogs
In: A.Cordy, J.Tutt, N.Hrovat, L.Jong, J.Macrae
Out: W.Minson, J.Grant
Sydney Swans
In: R.Shaw, N.Smith, T.Mitchell, T.Membrey, T.Nankervis
Out: J.Kennedy (hamstring), C.Bird (knee)
New: Toby Nankervis (North Launceston)
Richmond v St Kilda at the MCG, 4.40pm AEST
Richmond
In: A.Edwards, R.Conca, M.Dea
Out: -
In: C.Jones, L.Pierce, B.Murdoch, S.White
Out: J.Saunders
New: Lewis Pierce (Dandenong U18), Spencer White (Western U18)
