- Jack Riewoldt a shock loss for Tigers with eye injury
- Five changes for Geelong, losing Motlop and Menzel
- Travis Cloke in Bulldogs squad for key clash with Dons
AN EYE injury will keep Richmond star Jack Riewoldt out of Saturday night's clash with Gold Coast as the Coleman medallist joins key recruit Dion Prestia on the sidelines.
Prestia's on-going knee injury will see him miss playing against his former side, while Riewoldt's absence will further weaken Richmond's forward line, which has been relying on smaller types throughout this year.
In other major teams news, St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt has been managed for the Saints' important clash with Port Adelaide, while Steven Motlop has also been rested by the Cats.
The last time at least one Riewoldt wasn't playing (in a round when St Kilda and Richmond were playing) was way back in round two, 2007.
For the Tigers, Bachar Houli returns from suspension and Anthony Miles and Shai Bolton are in for the Suns clash, while Jayden Short has been dropped.
Check out all the round 19 teams
The Suns will be buoyed by the return of brilliant midfielder Gary Ablett and defender Steven May. Jesse Joyce is also in, while Trent McKenzie, Jesse Lonergan and Jack Bowes are out.
Hawthorn will head into Friday night's clash with Sydney unchanged after last week's strong win over Fremantle, while the Swans have made one change, replacing Daniel Robinson with Will Hayward.
Greater Western Sydney will be boosted by the return of Jeremy Cameron and Stephen Coniglio from injury, while Matt de Boer has been recalled to face Fremantle, and ex-Cat Dawson Simpson picked for his first Giants game.
He replaces his former Geelong teammate Shane Mumford, who will miss with an ankle injury. Steve Johnson (knee) and Toby Greene (suspension) are also out, and Tendai Mzungu has been dropped.
Fremantle has made four changes for the clash, bringing back Luke Ryan, Brennan Cox, Cameron Sutcliffe and Brady Grey. They replace injured duo Michael Walters (knee) and Lee Spurr (calf), and dropped pair Ryan Nyhuis and Josh Deluca.
Melbourne's Max Gawn and Neville Jetta have overcome ankle injuries and will line-up against North Melbourne as the Dees named an unchanged side for the clash.
The Kangaroos have brought back important defender Robbie Tarrant and captain Jack Ziebell, while young ruckman Braydon Preuss has also been named. Youngsters Nick Larkey (knee), Josh Williams and Cam Zurhaar (both omitted) make way.
St Kilda has rested Riewoldt for its trip to Adelaide Oval, with injury also ruling out Leigh Montagna (hamstring) and Koby Stevens (groin).
Tim Membrey returns from suspension to replace Riewoldt in attack, while Mav Weller and Brandon White have earned a call-up.
Port will lose Chad Wingard with his ankle injury for around a month, and has also dumped youngsters Joe Atley, Logan Austin and Dan Houston.
Defenders Jack Hombsch and Jasper Pittard are back, while Aaron Young and Karl Amon will also return for the game.
Geelong has reacted to its loss to Adelaide last week by making five changes for its Saturday night clash with Carlton at Etihad Stadium. Veteran defender Andrew Mackie and Nakia Cockatoo return, alongside Jackson Thurlow, Brandan Parfitt and Wylie Buzza.
The Cats have dropped ruckman Rhys Stanley, and will leave out Steven Motlop and Daniel Menzel as they manage their bodies in the lead-up to the finals. Mark Blicavs (ankle) and Zach Guthrie (omitted) are also out.
Carlton has recalled Simon White and Caleb Marchbank for the omitted Nick Graham and "managed" first-year defender Harrison Macreadie.
Travis Cloke could be back for the Dogs in Sunday's important clash with Essendon at Etihad Stadium. The premiership Magpie is one of five possible inclusions for the Bulldogs, along with Tory Dickson, Fletcher Roberts, Lukas Webb and Tim English. Dickson is the only confirmed inclusion at this stage.
They have lost the injured Dale Morris and the suspended Jack Redpath.
Josh Begley continues to press for a senior debut at Essendon. The powerful forward is one of three additions to the Bombers' extended squad, alongside Kyle Langford and Matt Dea for the game.
An elbow injury will see Travis Varcoe miss Collingwood's meeting with Adelaide at the MCG on Sunday, but the Pies have named Darcy Moore despite doubts over his fitness after last week's neck scare.
Matt Scharenberg, Tom Phillips, Mason Cox and father-son Josh Daicos, a possible debutant, are part of the club's extended squad.
The Crows are weakened by the loss of Eddie Betts (appendix) and Brad Crouch (cheekbone). Jono Beech, Kyle Hartigan, Paul Seedsman, Wayne Milera and prospective debutant Myles Poholke are among the possible replacements.
West Coast will lose Matt Priddis and Lewis Jetta to soft-tissue injuries for their meeting with the Brisbane Lions on Sunday, but have resisted wholesale changes at this stage after last week's loss to Collingwood. Sam Mitchell returns, along with confirmed debutant Luke Partington.
Eric Mackenzie, Fraser McInnes and Malcolm Karpany are in the extended squad of 25.
The Lions have rested some of their youngsters for the trip west, with exciting trio Hugh McCluggage, Eric Hipwood and Jarrod Berry all rested. They join suspended Dayne Zorko on the sidelines.
Forward Michael Close has been included for the Lions, while Jarrad Jansen, Claye Beams, Nick Robertson and possible debutants Sam Skinner, Jacob Allison and Corey Lyons are on the extended bench.
Friday, July 28
Hawthorn v Sydney at the MCG, 7.50pm AEST
HAWTHORN
No change
SYDNEY
In: W.Hayward
Out: D.Robinson
Saturday, July 29
North Melbourne v Melbourne at Blundstone Arena (Hobart), 1.45pm AEST
NORTH MELBOURNE
In: R.Tarrant, J.Ziebell, B.Preuss
Out: J.Williams , C.Zurhaar, N.Larkey (knee)
MELBOURNE
No change
Greater Western Sydney v Fremantle at Spotless Stadium, 2.10pm AEST
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
In: J.Cameron, S.Coniglio, M.de Boer, D.Simpson
Out: S.Johnson (knee), S.Mumford (ankle), T.Greene (suspension), T.Mzungu
New: Dawson Simpson (Geelong)
FREMANTLE
In: L.Ryan, B.Cox, C.Sutcliffe, B.Grey
Out: L.Spurr (calf), M.Walters (knee), R.Nyhuis, J.Deluca
Port Adelaide v St Kilda at Adelaide Oval, 4.05pm ACST
PORT ADELAIDE
In: J.Hombsch, J.Pittard, A.Young, K.Amon
Out:C.Wingard (ankle), J.Atley, L.Austin, D.Houston
ST KILDA
In: M.Weller, T.Membrey, B.White
Out: N.Riewoldt (managed), L.Montagna (hamstring), K.Stevens (groin)
Carlton v Geelong at Etihad Stadium, 7.25pm AEST
CARLTON
In: S.White, C.Marchbank
Out: N.Graham, H.Macreadie (managed)
GEELONG
In: A.Mackie, J.Thurlow, N.Cockatoo, B.Parfitt, W.Buzza
Out: R.Stanley, S.Motlop (managed), D.Menzel (general soreness), M.Blicavs (ankle), Z.Guthrie
Gold Coast v Richmond at Metricon Stadium, 7.25pm AEST
GOLD COAST
In:G.Ablett, S.May, J.Joyce
Out: T.McKenzie, J.Lonergan, J.Bowes
RICHMOND
In:B.Houli, A.Miles, S.Bolton
Out: J.Riewoldt (eye), D.Prestia (knee/soreness), J.Short
Sunday, July 30
Western Bulldogs v Essendon at Etihad Stadium, 1.10pm AEST
WESTERN BULLDOGS
In: T.Cloke, T.Dickson, F.Roberts, L.Webb, T.English
Out: J.Redpath (suspension), D.Morris (arm)
ESSENDON
In: J.Begley, K.Langford, M.Dea
Out: -
New: Josh Begley (Eastern U18)
Collingwood v Adelaide at the MCG, 3.20pm AEST
COLLINGWOOD
In: M.Scharenberg, T.Phillips, M.Cox, J.Daicos
Out: T.Varcoe (elbow)
New: Josh Daicos (Oakleigh U18)
ADELAIDE
In:J.Beech, K.Hartigan, P.Seedsman, W.Milera, M.Poholke
Out: E.Betts (appendix), B.Crouch (cheekbone)
New: Myles Poholke (Dandenong U18)
West Coast v Brisbane Lions at Domain Stadium, 2.40pm AWST
WEST COAST
In: S.Mitchell, E.Mackenzie, F.McInnes, M.Karpany, L.Partington
Out: M.Priddis (quad), L.Jetta (calf)
BRISBANE LIONS
In: M.Close, J.Jansen, C.Beams, N.Robertson, S.Skinner, J.Allison, C.Lyons
Out: J.Berry (managed), H.McCluggage (managed), E.Hipwood (managed), D.Zorko (suspended)
New: Sam Skinner (Gippsland U18), Jacob Allison (Aspley), Corey Lyons (Sandringham U18)
