And the Lions have named wingman Nigel Lappin, who is carrying a rib injury.
The Lions, like the Magpies, made just one change with veteran defender Marcus Ashcroft – the club’s most experienced player – returning from a one-week absence with a knee injury.
However, Ashcroft surprisingly replaced dual premiership player Tim Notting in the side and not youngster Richard Hadley, who will now get the chance to win a premiership medallion in only his fourth AFL game.
The rugged Chris Scott and the versatile Aaron Shattock failed in their bids to get back in the side following injury and were both named as emergencies.
The Pies’ replacement for Rocca is slightly more experienced than Hadley with Walker to play just his tenth AFL game on Saturday.
He was named in the side ahead of ruckman Steve McKee and forward Jarrod Molloy – who both played in last year’s losing grand final side – with that pair named as emergencies along with Andrew Williams.
Walker’s ability to play both in attack and in the ruck gained him the nod as Rocca’s replacement.
“We had to make sure we put the best side out on the track and one which can cause the most disruption to Brisbane,” Malthouse said.
“The player that comes in for Rocca (Walker) will have to fill a hole but he will do it to the best of his ability.”
However Malthouse refused to rule out making a late change to his side should the need arise.
While Malthouse is confident Walker can adequately cover Rocca’s absence he admitted the loss of the club’s centre-half-forward, back-up ruckman and vice-captain all rolled into one was significant.
“Anthony is a power forward and they are very difficult to replace,” Malthouse said.
“It would have been better to have him out there but he’s not.”
While not directly criticising the AFL Tribunal’s decision to suspend Rocca – Malthouse said the two match striking ban was tough on a player who is now deprived of the chance of possibly winning a premiership medallion after a nine-year, 166 game journey.
“You can say what you like but this is a life sentence,” Malthouse said of Rocca.
“The consequences are great – are they greater than the crime? Well that’s something that has to be worked out.”
“But I don’t know whether we have got it right as far as the system goes and that is not anything to do with (tribunal chairman) Brian Collis.”
Malthouse also scoffed at reports his other key forward Chris Tarrant was battling a leg injury.
Tarrant trained along with the rest of his Magpie teammates – including Rocca – at the Pies’ final training session, which was watched by a crowd of about 15,000 on Thursday night.
“Make no mistake about it Chris Tarrant is fine,’ Malthouse said.
Malthouse also refused to be drawn on whether Lappin would be fit enough to take his place for the Lions but hinted Brisbane was taking a major risk if the Lions played a player who was not fully fit for a grand final.
“The stakes are too high to pick players who can’t play 100 minutes of high-intensity football which is what grand finals are,” he said.
“We haven’t made that mistake (all season) and we won’t now.”
