MELBOURNE has named injury-replacement player Sarah Perkins for her first game for the club as the Demons' injury crisis deepens. 

The 26-year-old, a former Adelaide forward who played for Hawthorn in the VFLW competition last year and trained with Melbourne over summer, will gain her opportunity against lowly West Coast at Casey Fields on Sunday as a result of the Dees boasting fewer than 23 fit players on their list. 

FULL FIXTURE Every round, every game

Melbourne has suffered two big blows with star defender Meg Downie (illness) and ruck Lauren Pearce (knee soreness) being added to the casualty list.

The Demons have named midfielder Lily Mithen for her first game for the season after overcoming an ankle injury and young defender Brenna Tarrant will make her debut. Gabby Colvin has been omitted.

Experienced ex-Docker Melissa Caulfield has finally shaken off a knee injury and will make her club debut for West Coast, with steady defender Chantella Perera missing due to work commitments. 

Reigning premier Adelaide has made four changes for its huge clash with North Melbourne at North Hobart Oval on Saturday, losing superstar onballer Erin Phillips (soreness), Eloise Jones (shoulder) and Jess Foley (foot) to injuries and omitting Chelsea Biddell, replacing them with Jaimi Tabb, Caitlin Gould, debutant Montana McKinnon and Madison Newman. 

WATCH IT LIVE How to follow the AFLW this weekend

North Melbourne has lost forward Elisha King to a knee complaint and has brought in Tasmanian Nicole Bresnehan. 

Gold Coast and Geelong kick off proceedings on Friday night in Mackay, with one change apiece. Sun Hannah Dunn will miss with a calf injury, while Georgie Rankin comes in for suspended Cat Jordan Ivey.

As has been reported, Collingwood will have to negotiate the rest of the season without injured pair Ash Brazill (knee) and Ruby Schleicher (wrist), with the Pies also swinging the changes, omitting Sarah Dargan and Katie Lynch.

Ebony O'Dea, Maddie Shevlin, Sophie Alexander and Eliza Hynes have come into the side for its must-win encounter with the Western Bulldogs at Morwell on Sunday. 

The Dogs have lost the injured Bonnie Toogood (knee) but regained vice-captain Brooke Lochland (quad), Celine Moody (ankle) and Deanna Berry (concussion).

Greater Western Sydney will have to make do without skipper Alicia Eva, who has been sidelined with a foot injury, for its home fixture against battling Richmond at Robertson Oval on Saturday.

AFLW INSIGHT There can be only one winner

The Giants will also be without the injured Yvonne Bonner (ankle) for the rest of the season, while Ingrid Nielsen has been omitted. Among their inclusions is debutant Sarah Halvorsen. 

Opponent Richmond has suffered a double injury blow, losing Katie Brennan and Courtney Wakefield to concussion, while Kate Dempsey will play her first AFLW game.

St Kilda will unveil yet another debutant in Sammie Johnson against an unchanged Carlton at Ikon Park on Saturday night.

Top teams Fremantle and Brisbane, who will close out round five at Fremantle Oval on Sunday, have just one change between them, with Docker Evie Gooch returning from a minor calf injury.

Friday, March 6

Gold Coast v Geelong, Great Barrier Reef Arena, 6.10pm AEST

GOLD COAST

B: J.Pregelj 42 J.Hickey 4
HB: S.Virgo - C 22 L.Ahrens 7 T.Groves-Little 3
C: T.Ernst 19 J.Stanton 17 P.Parker 1
HF: K.Surman 26 L.Kaslar 11 B.Perry 16
F: K.Howarth 23 J.Hewett 20
Foll: L.Bella 2 J.Yorston 5 D.Heslop 25
I/C: C.Hammond 29 E.Hampson 21 M.Ritson 12 T.Thorn 15 S.Watson 14

Emerg: S.Riley 8 A.Hamilton 30

In: T.Groves-Little
Out: H.Dunn (Calf)

GEELONG

B: M.Brown 19 M.McMahon 24
HB: M.Keryk 45 M.McDonald 11 M.Hickey - C 18
C: N.Morrison 9 R.Webster 21 S.Van De Heuvel 27
HF: R.Garing 12 P.McWilliams 23 D.Higgins 2
F: R.Cranston 30 K.Darby 8
Foll: A.O'Connor 14 J.Crockett-Grills 6 O.Purcell 16
I/C: R.Goring 44 G.Rankin 10 A.McDonald 3 A.Teague 40 G.Clarke 17

Emerg: N.Garner 22 C.Blakeway 4

In: G.Rankin
Out: J.Ivey (Suspension)

Saturday, March 7

North Melbourne v Adelaide, North Hobart Oval, 3.10pm AEDT

NORTH MELBOURNE

B: N.Bresnehan 12 T.Randall 16
HB: B.Gibson 18 D.Hardiman 31 A.Gilroy 8
C: J.Grierson 19 E.Kearney - C 9 J.Bruton 35
HF: S.Abbatangelo 1 K.Gillespie-Jones 5 K.Ashmore 10
F: Em.King 60 D.Bateman 11
Foll: V.Saad 39 A.Riddell 7 J.Garner 25
I/C: S.Wright 17 J.Trend 21 E.Gavalas 22 M.King 23 T.Nestor 24

Emerg: E.Humphries 6 M.Seoighe 13

In: N.Bresnehan
Out: El.King (Knee)

ADELAIDE

B: D.Cox 31 S.Allan 39
HB: N.Allen 8 M.Rajcic 32 S.Li 19
C: A.Foley 3 E.Marinoff 10 J.Mules 23
HF: A.Considine 16 D.Ponter 15 R.Forth 27
F:  S.Thompson 14 J.Tabb 28
Foll: R.Metcalfe 11 A.Hatchard 33 C.Gum 5
I/C: N.Campbell 20 C.Gould 1 M.McKinnon 21 N.Gore 7 M.Newman 17

Emerg: C.Biddell 12

In: C.Gould, M.McKinnon, M.Newman, J.Tabb 28 
Out: E.Jones (Shoulder), J.Foley (Foot), C.Biddell (Omitted), E.Phillips (Soreness)

Greater Western Sydney v Richmond, Robertson Oval, 5.10pm AEDT

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

B: P.Randall 21 T.Hetherington 9
HB: J.Dal Pos - C 7 E.Bennetts 22 A.Lister 14
C: L.Steane 20 B.Tully 36 N.Barr 8
HF: H.Zreika 24 T.Mackrill 32 J.Hicks 5
F: C.Staunton 13 J.Barclay 34
Foll: J.Allan 39 A.Parker 3 R.Beeson 6
I/C: S.Halvorsen 30 E.McKinnon 23 R.Privitelli 19 L.Stephenson 12 A.Schmidt 11

Emerg: I.Nielsen 25 T.Davies 16

In: T.Mackrill, S.Halvorsen, E.McKinnon
Out: Y.Bonner (Ankle), A.Eva (Foot), I.Nielsen (Omitted)

RICHMOND

B: A.Makur Chuot 34 G.Seymour 28
HB: H.Whitford 20 P.Monahan 2 R.Miller 15
C: H.Burchell 9 S.Molan 1 K.Dempsey 19
HF: L.Bailey 12 S.Frederick 14 C.Bernardi - C 6
F: L.McClelland 16 T.Stahl 24
Foll: A.Edmonds 11 M.Conti 4 G.Campbell 43
I/C: S.Sansonetti 18 E.Wood 17 K.Jacques 10 L.Tesoriero 7 M.Brancatisano 5

Emerg: A.Woodward 13 N.Butler 22

In: K.Dempsey, T.Stahl, L.Tesoriero
Out: K.Brennan (Concussion), A.Woodward (Omitted), C.Wakefield (Concussion)

Carlton v St Kilda, Ikon Park, 7.10pm AEDT

CARLTON

B: G.Pound 6 C.Wilson 20
HB: K.Harrington 9 V.Laloifi 8 J.Edwards 25
C: K.Loynes - C 2 G.Gee 19 S.Hosking 10
HF: N.Stevens 21 T.Harris 7 D.Vescio 3
F: L.McEvoy 13 B.Moody 16
Foll: A.Downie 30 G.Egan 1 M.Prespakis 4
I/C: N.Plane 32 C.Dalton 15 B.Walker 14 L.Brazzale 12 J.Hosking 11

Emerg: B.Vernon 31 C.Jones 22

In: None
Out: None

ST KILDA

B: K.O'Neill 20 C.Fitzpatrick 24
HB: H.Priest 14 A.Brown 2 T.Lucas-Rodd 18
C: N.Exon 15 R.Dillon 25 M.McDonald 1
HF: D.Guttridge 5 S.Johnson 6 C.Greiser 17
F: K.Shierlaw 12 G.Patrikios 21
Foll: P.Kelly 16 N.Xenos 27 C.Phillips 35
I/C: E.Mackie 3 R.Watt - C 7 O.Vesely 23 A.Drennan 8 I.Shannon 11

Emerg: C.Whitfort 4 S.Karlson 26

In: K.O'Neill, S.Johnson, E.Mackie
Out: T.White (ACL), C.Munn (Omitted), K.McCarthy (Knee)

Sunday, March 8

Collingwood v Western Bulldogs, Morwell Recreation Reserve, 1.10pm AEDT

COLLINGWOOD

B: A.Porter 9 S.Livingstone 12
HB: L.Butler 23 S.Casey 22 M.Shevlin 35
C: S.Rowe 7 M.Cann 25 S.Chiocci - C 17
HF: S.Alexander 24 S.D'Arcy 4 B.Davey 3
F: J.Lambert 13 C.Molloy 2
Foll: E.Hynes 11 E.O'Dea 50 J.Allen 6
I/C: A.Sheridan 14 E.Fowler 15 J.Membrey 21 B.Bonnici 8 S.Layton 1

Emerg: S.Dargan 46 K.Lynch 16

In: E.O'Dea, M.Shevlin, S.Alexander, E.Hynes
Out: A.Brazill (ACL), R.Schleicher (Wrist), S.Dargan (Omitted), K.Lynch (Omitted)

WESTERN BULLDOGS

B: A.Guest 19 L.Spark 11
HB: K.Herron 31 I.Huntington 4 N.Ferres 16
C: B.Hunt 21 K.Lamb 27 B.Lochland 1
HF: G.Newton 5 K.Rennie 24 K.McLeod 6
F: D.Marshall 26 E.Georgostathis 17
Foll: C.Moody 13 E.Blackburn - C 2 A.McCarthy 15
I/C: E.Brown 9 D.Berry 7 G.Lagioia 12 H.Scott 22 H.Munyard 20 

Emerg: N.Callinan B.Gutknecht 18

In: B.Lochland, C.Moody, D.Berry
Out: B.Toogood (Knee), E.Gamble (injured), B.Gutknecht (Omitted)

Melbourne v West Coast, Casey Fields, 3.10pm AEDT

MELBOURNE

B: H.Cordner 21 L.Birch 9
HB: S.Lampard 8 D.Pearce - C 6 S.Goldrick 23
C: C.Sherriff 18 E.O'Dea 5 C.Emonson 11
HF: K.Hore 10 A.Newman 16 S.Scott 12
F: T.Cunningham 1 S.Perkins 33
Foll: E.Zanker 29 K.Paxman 4 M.Gay 3
I/C: J.Parry 19 N.McEvoy 17 L.Mithen 14 B.Tarrant 20 T.Hanks 28

Emerg: K.Petrevski 31 G.Colvin 32

In: L.Mithen, B.Tarrant, S.Perkins
Out: M.Downie (Illness), L.Pearce (Knee soreness), G.Colvin (Omitted)

WEST COAST

B: C.Davidson 33 T.Radan 26
HB: S.McDonald 35 B.Smith 14 C.Guard 4
C: M.Bowen 1 I.Cameron 19 N.Kelly 12
HF: M.Collier 8 G.Kelly 15 M.Caulfield 10
F: K.Gibson 2 A.Atkins 9
Foll: P.Laurie 25 D.Hooker 17 E.Swanson - C 13
I/C: M.Dowrick 5 E.McGuire 31 H.Bullas 24 E.Bonser 6 B.Devlyn 7

Emerg: K.Orme 32 M.Carter 21

In: M.Caulfield
Out: C.Perera (Managed)

Fremantle v Brisbane, Fremantle Oval, 2.10pm AWST

FREMANTLE

B: E.O'Driscoll 3 J.Cuthbertson 29
HB: A.Stannett 24 P.Seth 18 L.Pugh 32
C: K.Antonio - C 15 H.Miller 19 E.Gooch 8
HF: E.Antonio 12 R.Roux 17 A.Sharp 1
F: G.Houghton 27 S.Duffy 6
Foll: M.Strom 21 K.Bowers 2 J.Stewart 7
I/C: K.Flood 44 K.Grieve 13 L.Mascall 14 L.Rohde 11 G.O'Sullivan 22

Emerg: B.Webb 26, M.Clifford 4

In: E.Gooch
Out: B.Webb (Omitted)

BRISBANE

B: N.Grider 10 S.Webb 4
HB: S.Campbell 20 K.Lutkins 13 C.Svarc 25
C: R.Lugg 11 A.Anderson 18 S.Conway 12
HF: L.Arnell 16 J.Wardlaw 30 G.Bodey 15
F: D.Davidson 14 E.Zielke - C 8
Foll: J.Keeffe 27 B.Koenen 3 E.Bates 1
I/C: I.Dawes 17 O.O'Dwyer 9 L.Postlethwaite 6 J.Wuetschner 23 M.Moloney 28

Emerg: G.Collingwood 7 J.Zanchetta 2

In: None
Out: None