HAWTHORN has decided not to risk star forward Cyril Rioli for Saturday evening's preliminary final clash against Port Adelaide at the MCG.

Instead, the speedy forward will line up in Sunday's VFL Grand Final against Footscray in a bid to prove his fitness for the AFL Grand Final.

Rioli, who has never played a game for Box Hill, will only line-up for the VFL affiliate should Hawthorn defeat the Power.

Defender Matthew Suckling will return for the Hawks after missing the club's qualifying final win against Geelong, with veteran Brad Sewell omitted.

Rioli, who has not played since tearing his hamstring in the club's win over Gold Coast in round 15, trained strongly during the week.

However, the club does not feel he can stand up under the heat of finals after a nine-week layoff.

Sewell has battled form and injury for much of this season and finds himself out of the side at a critical point of the year.

The Hawks' emergencies are Sewell, ruckman Ben McEvoy and first-year player Billy Hartung.

Port Adelaide, fresh from its memorable comeback semi-final win over Fremantle, enters the game with an unchanged line-up.

That means Tom Jonas, who was in some doubt after copping a heavy corky last week against the Dockers, has done enough to satisfy the Power's coaching staff.

Jarman Impey, Kane Mitchell and Benjamin Newton are the three emergencies for the Power.

Sydney Swans defender Nick Malceski has proved his fitness for Friday night's preliminary final meeting with North Melbourne at ANZ Stadium.

Malceski, who injured his hamstring in the Swans' qualifying final clash with the Dockers, proved his fitness at training this week.

Tom Mitchell is one of three Swans' emergencies, along with experienced defender Jeremy Laidler and Dean Towers. 

North Melbourne has made one change for the clash, with Jamie Macmillan ruled out with a hamstring complaint.

Ben Jacobs, who was forced out of the side when Brent Harvey returned for the match against Geelong, has been recalled.

Key defender Joel Tippett will go to Sydney as the travelling emergency with Daniel Currie and Aaron Mullett the other two emergencies.