HARD-LUCK Tiger Reece Conca will have the opportunity on Friday night to make a late-season bid for finals selection – and maybe a second chance at an AFL premiership.
Injury spoiled Conca's past four seasons, including a foot setback that effectively ruled him out of contention for Richmond's drought-busting flag last year.
A dislocated ankle suffered against Sydney in round 15 continued that theme and initially threatened to be season-ending, but he is back in the senior side to face Essendon after one VFL game.
In other selection news, Paddy Ryder (hip flexor) was named for Port Adelaide, Nat Fyfe returns for Fremantle, Gold Coast's Michael Barlow is in for his second game of the year and St Kilda dropped Nathan Freeman.
Forgotten Saint Hugh Goddard will face Hawthorn on Saturday - his first senior match since round 11, 2016.
FULL TEAMS Check 'em out here
The Tigers had already announced that premiership stars Trent Cotchin (hamstring), Dion Prestia (hamstring), David Astbury (Achilles) and Kane Lambert (ankle) would not play.
Ivan Soldo is also out for Richmond, which welcomes back Toby Nankervis, Sam Lloyd, Liam Baker and Ryan Garthwaite, on top of Conca.
Matt Dea and Matt Guelfi return for the Bombers, who will be without injured pair Orazio Fantasia and Ben McNiece.
Billy Frampton is on standby to make his long-awaited AFL debut if Port Adelaide's All Australian ruckman Ryder doesn't make the first bounce on Saturday.
Ryder was named, but assistant coach Michael Voss declared mid-week he was "less than a 50-50 chance" for the all-important match-up with an unchanged Collingwood at the MCG.
Defenders Riley Bonner and Jack Hombsch are the Power's inclusions for Tom Clurey (foot) and Charlie Dixon (broken leg).
Geelong has made four changes for Saturday's must-win match against Fremantle at GMHBA Stadium, recalling Harry Taylor, Jordan Murdoch, Jackson Thurlow and Ryan Abbott.
The Cats lost Rhys Stanley to a calf injury recurrence and dumped James Parsons, Quinton Narkle and Lachie Fogarty.
Fyfe is in for the Dockers after missing six matches with a hamstring injury, while tagger Bailey Banfield – fresh from signing a new two-year deal – is also back in the team.
Luke Ryan and first-gamer Sam Switkowski could not be considered because of respective injuries.
Zak Jones returns from suspension for the Swans, who also promoted Dan Robinson, as they prepare to face the Giants in the Sydney derby.
Backmen Nick Smith (hamstring) and Alex Johnson (knee) go out of Sydney's side.
Greater Western Sydney will also be without key members, with Heath Shaw (knee), Josh Kelly (concussion) and Sam Reid (hamstring) unavailable.
Jeremy Finlayson, Harry Perryman and Daniel Lloyd are their replacements.
Ben McEvoy is set for a timely return for Hawthorn's meeting with St Kilda, with fellow ruckman Jon Ceglar out because of injury.
Ricky Henderson is also unavailable for the Hawks, who selected Irishman Conor Glass for his first game since round 15.
Joining Goddard in returning for the Saints is Logan Austin, with Nathan Brown (suspension) and Freeman (omitted) making way.
Gold Coast midfielder Michael Barlow will play just his second game of the year and first since round six in Saturday's QClash against Brisbane.
Injuries forced the Suns into four changes, with Will Brodie (hamstring), Pearce Hanley (hamstring), Wil Powell (hip) and Kade Kolodjashnij (quad) all out of last week's side.
Brad Scheer, Sean Lemmens and Jacob Heron also come in for Gold Coast, while Zac Bailey replaces Darcy Gardiner (shoulder) for the Lions.
Adelaide loses captain Taylor Walker (suspension) for Sunday's clash with North Melbourne, but could bring back Riley Knight, Jake Kelly, Paul Seedsman and Mitch McGovern.
Elliot Himmelberg is in line to make his AFL debut for the Crows, too, while last year's No.4 draft pick Luke Davies-Uniacke headlines four possible Roos additions.
Melbourne had already foreshadowed the returns of Sam Weideman, Michael Hibberd and Jake Melksham for Sunday's difficult trip west to take on the Eagles.
The Demons' chances of playing finals for the first time since 2006 were dealt a cruel blow at the weekend, with Jesse Hogan (foot) and Jayden Hunt (ankle) sustaining injuries.
Jackson Nelson and Jake Waterman are two potential additions for West Coast.
Friday, August 17
Richmond v Essendon at the MCG, 7.50pm AEST
RICHMOND
In: S.Lloyd, T.Nankervis, L.Baker, R.Conca, R.Garthwaite
Out: D.Prestia (hamstring), T.Cotchin (hamstring), D.Astbury (Achilles), K.Lambert (ankle), I.Soldo
ESSENDON
In: M.Dea, M.Guelfi
Out: O.Fantasia (hamstring), B.McNiece (knee)
Saturday, August 18
Collingwood v Port Adelaide at the MCG, 1.45pm AEST
COLLINGWOOD
No change
PORT ADELAIDE
In: R.Bonner, J.Hombsch
Outs: T.Clurey (foot), C.Dixon (leg)
Geelong v Fremantle at GMHBA Stadium, 2.10pm AEST
GEELONG
In: J.Murdoch, J.Thurlow, H.Taylor, R.Abbott
Out: J.Parsons, Q.Narkle, L.Fogarty, R.Stanley (calf)
FREMANTLE
In: N.Fyfe, B.Banfield
Out: L.Ryan (hamstring), S.Switkowski (injured)
Greater Western Sydney v Sydney at Spotless Stadfium, 4.35pm AEST
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
In: J.Finlayson, H.Perryman, D.Lloyd
Out: H.Shaw (knee), S.Reid (hamstring), J.Kelly (concussion)
SYDNEY
In: Z.Jones, D.Robinson
Out: N.Smith (hamstring), A.Johnson (knee)
Gold Coast v Brisbane at Metricon Stadium, 7.25pm AEST
GOLD COAST
In: M.Barlow, B.Scheer, S.Lemmens, J.Heron
Out: W.Brodie (hamstring), P.Hanley (hamstring), W.Powell (hip), K.Kolodjashnij (quad)
BRISBANE
In: Z.Bailey
Out: D.Gardiner (shoulder)
St Kilda v Hawthorn at Etihad Stadium, 7.25pm AEST
ST KILDA
In: H.Goddard, L.Austin
Out: N.Brown (suspended), N.Freeman
HAWTHORN
In: B.McEvoy, C.Glass
Out: J.Ceglar (corked calf), R.Henderson (hip)
Sunday, August 19
Carlton v Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium, 1.10pm AEST
CARLTON
In: J.Weitering, T.De Koning, A.Mullett, H.Macreadie, A.Schumacher
Out: N.Graham (calf)
New: Tom De Koning (Dandenong U18), Angus Schumacher (Bendigo U18)
WESTERN BULLDOGS
In: E.Wood, L.Young, C.Porter, M.Honeychurch, T.English
Out: Z.Cordy (sinus fracture)
New: Callum Porter (Gippsland U18)
West Coast v Melbourne at Optus Stadium, 1.20pm AWST
WEST COAST
In: J.Nelson, F.Watson, M.Allen, J.Waterman
Out: -
New: Francis Watson (Claremont), Matt Allen (Glenelg)
MELBOURNE
In: S.Weideman, M.Hibberd, D.Kent, J.Melksham, M.Hannan, J.Wagner
Out: J.Hogan (foot), J.Hunt (ankle)
Adelaide v North Melbourne at Adelaide Oval, 4.10pm ACST
ADELAIDE
In: R.Knight, J.Kelly, P.Seedsman, E.Himmelberg, M.McGovern
Out: T.Walker (suspension)
New: Elliott Himmelberg (Redland)
NORTH MELBOURNE
In: L.Davies-Uniacke, N.Hrovat, D.Mountford, B.McKay
Out: -
