HAWTHORN and Melbourne have named unchanged teams ahead of the first bounce in Friday night's cut-throat semi-final at the MCG.
The Hawks will be trying to avoid becoming the seventh top-four team since 2000 to crash out of the finals in straight sets, while the Demons are bidding to make their first preliminary final in 18 years.
FOLLOW IT LIVE Hawks v Demons
A blockbuster crowd of 90,000 is expected to pack the MCG, but 80 minutes before the game the ground's stands were only slowly starting to fill.
Melbourne made no changes at Thursday night selection to the team that defeated Geelong in last Friday night's elimination final.
Hawthorn will be without injured stars Ben Stratton (hamstring) and Jaeger O'Meara (knee), while it omitted ruckman Jonathon Ceglar following last Thursday night's qualifying final loss to Richmond.
Taylor Duryea, David Mirra and Ryan Schoenmakers come into the Hawks' team as replacements.
The winner of Friday night's game will play West Coast at Optus Stadium next Saturday for a Grand Final spot.
Hawthorn v Melbourne at the MCG, 7.50pm AEST
NO LATE CHANGES
FINAL INTERCHANGES
Hawthorn: David Mirra, Harry Morrison, James Worpel, Conor Nash
Melbourne: Jack Viney, Charlie Spargo, Dom Tyson, Bayley Fritsch
