HAWTHORN will unveil a second key recruit in as many weeks on Sunday, with dual All Australian Chad Wingard to make his brown and gold debut.
Wingard has shaken a nagging calf injury that interrupted his first pre-season at Waverley Park and will take his place against North Melbourne, seven days after Tom Scully did the same.
The former Port Adelaide star is one of a number of household names returning in round three, along with Andrew Gaff, Ollie Wines, Taylor Adams and Giants pair Josh Kelly and Shane Mumford.
However, St Kilda's four-time club champion Jack Steven (managed), who took leave earlier in the season for mental health reasons, won't play for the Saints against Fremantle on Sunday.
The Saints are wary about Steven's limited pre-season preparation and are leaving him out as a precautionary move.
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Ex-Docker Zac Clarke will also play his first game for Essendon in Friday night's must-win clash with the similarly struggling Demons at the MCG.
Kobe Mutch also comes in for the Bombers, who dumped Mitch Brown and Kyle Langford.
Melbourne lost Steven May (groin), dropped first-year midfielder Tom Sparrow and promoted the Wagner brothers, Josh and Corey.
Caleb Marchbank, Lochie O'Brien and Levi Casboult will return for Carlton as the Blues try to turn their encouraging form into a win against winless Sydney at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.
Rising star Charlie Curnow (knee) was the sole forced out, with Jarrod Garlett and Alex Fasolo headed back to the VFL.
The Swans were even stronger at the selection table, omitting Lewis Melican, Colin O'Riordan and Ryan Clarke for Tom McCartin, Jackson Thurlow and Jordan Dawson.
Sydney Stack is the fresh face for Richmond, with the West Australian teenager to make his AFL debut against Greater Western Sydney.
Defender Ryan Garthwaite will play his first game of the season and Noah Balta also returns, with Dylan Grimes (suspension) and injured duo Jack Riewoldt and Maverick Weller making way.
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Tommy Sheridan rounds out the Giants' three additions, on top of Kelly and Mumford, in place of Lachie Keeffe, Dawson Simpson and Brett Deledio, who is injured again.
Lincoln McCarthy (rib) is in an unchanged Brisbane line-up, which hosts Port Adelaide at the Gabba on Saturday night.
The Power regains co-captain Wines (shoulder), plus Sam Gray and Dougal Howard, but Jack Watts (ankle/leg), Karl Amon (knee) and Todd Marshall (omitted) are out.
Adams delivers Collingwood a big addition for the Grand Final rematch with West Coast.
Travis Varcoe makes way for the gun midfielder, while the Eagles bring in Gaff, Jamie Cripps and debutant Josh Rotham for Liam Duggan (knee) and omitted pair Josh Smith – a former Pie – and Daniel Venables.
Neither the Western Bulldogs nor Gold Coast is yet to make any changes ahead of their Marvel Stadium encounter on Sunday.
Jordon Sweet, Bailey Williams, Fergus Greene and Patrick Lipinski are the possible ins for the Dogs, while the Suns could turn to Will Brodie, Sam Day, Brad Scheer and Aaron Young.
Wingard, who is a confirmed in for Hawthorn, joins David Mirra, Dylan Moore, Conor Glass, Mitch Lewis and Kaiden Brand in being named for the Hawks' game against the Kangaroos.
The Hawks will make a minimum of two changes, with Shaun Burgoyne and Liam Shiels both out because of hamstring injuries.
As reported earlier on Thursday, North Melbourne has included Jed Anderson (hamstring), Trent Dumont (calf), Sam Wright (quad), Paul Ahern and Mason Wood in its squad.
Marley Williams (ankle) is the sole omission so far.
Steven is the only confirmed out for St Kilda and Fremantle for their game out west.
Hunter Clark, Ben Long, Brandon White, Ben Paton and Darragh Joyce are jockeying for position at the Saints.
Mitch Crowden, Stefan Giro, Brandon Matera and Taylin Duman are potential Dockers inclusions.
Thursday, April 4
Adelaide v Geelong at Adelaide Oval, 7.20pm ACDT
ADELAIDE
In: Reilly O'Brien
Out: Sam Jacobs (knee)
GEELONG
In: Lachie Henderson
Out: Jack Henry (hamstring)
Friday, April 5
Melbourne v Essendon at the MCG, 7.50pm AEDT
MELBOURNE
In: J.Wagner, C.Wagner
Out: T.Sparrow, S.May (groin)
ESSENDON
In: K.Mutch, Z.Clarke
Out: M.Brown, K.Langford
New: Zac Clarke (Fremantle)
Saturday, April 6
Carlton v Sydney at Marvel Stadium, 1.45pm AEDT
CARLTON
In: C.Marchbank, L.O'Brien, L.Casboult
Out: C.Curnow (knee), J.Garlett, A.Fasolo
SYDNEY
In: T.McCartin, J.Thurlow, J.Dawson
Out: L.Melican, C.O'Riordan, R.Clarke
Greater Western Sydney v Richmond at Giants Stadium, 4.35pm AEDT
GWS
In: J.Kelly, S.Mumford, T.Sheridan
Out: L.Keeffe, D.Simpson, B.Deledio (injured)
New: Tommy Sheridan (Fremantle)
RICHMOND
In: R.Garthwaite, N.Balta, S.Stack
Out: J.Riewoldt (wrist), D.Grimes (suspension), M.Weller (injured)
New: Sydney Stack (Perth)
Brisbane v Port Adelaide at The Gabba, 6.25pm AEST
BRISBANE
No changes
PORT ADELAIDE
In: O.Wines, S.Gray, D.Howard
Out: J.Watts (leg), K.Amon (knee), T.Marshall
Collingwood v West Coast at the MCG, 7.25pm AEDT
COLLINGWOOD
In: T.Adams
Out: T.Varcoe
WEST COAST
In: A.Gaff, J.Cripps, J.Rotham
Out: L.Duggan (knee), J.Smith, D.Venables
New: Josh Rotham (West Perth)
Sunday, April 7
Western Bulldogs v Gold Coast at Marvel Stadium, 2.20pm AEDT
WESTERN BULLDOGS
In: J.Sweet, B.Williams, F.Greene, P.Lipsinki
Out: -
New: Jordan Sweet (North Adelaide)
GOLD COAST
In: W.Brodie, S.Day, B.Scheer, A.Young
Out: -
Hawthorn v North Melbourne at the MCG, 3.20pm AEDT
HAWTHORN
In: C.Wingard, D.Mirra, D.Moore, C.Glass, M.Lewis, K.Brand
Out: S.Burgoyne (hamstring), L.Shiels (hamstring)
New: Chad Wingard (Port Adelaide), Dylan Moore (Eastern Ranges)
NORTH MELBOURNE
In: J.Anderson, T.Dumont, P.Ahern, S.Wright, M.Wood
Out: M.Williams (ankle)
Fremantle v St Kilda at Optus Stadium, 3.20pm AWST
FREMANTLE
In: M.Crowden, S.Giro, B.Matera, T.Duman
Out: -
ST KILDA
In: H.Clark, B.Long, B.White, B.Paton, D.Joyce
Out: J.Steven (managed)
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