- Brian Lake, Jordan Lewis, Isaac Smith return for GF rematch
- Cats add three premiership stars for clash with Blues
- Sidebottom, Chapman, Cooney, Carlisle among big names back
BRIAN Lake will line up against one of the Sydney Swans' boom forwards on Saturday night in the Grand Final rematch, in his first game since Anzac Day.
Hawthorn's 2013 Norm Smith medallist is back from a medial strain in time for the big clash with the Swans at the MCG, along with Jordan Lewis, who has served his two-match suspension.
Isaac Smith returns from illness while Jonathan Simpkin, Taylor Duryea and Angus Litherland have been omitted.
The Swans have dropped Dean Towers and recalled Harry Cunningham after an impressive hit-out in the NEAFL.
Just when it looked like things couldn't get any tougher for Carlton, Geelong has regained three multiple premiership players in time for Friday night's clash at Etihad Stadium.
After a week where Blues coach Mick Malthouse and his players came under fire following their sixth loss for the season, the Cats have loaded up in an attempt to bounce back from last week's loss to the Sydney Swans.
Tom Hawkins, Andrew Mackie and James Kelly – just two weeks after surgery to repair a ruptured testicle – have been named in the Cats' side.
Making way are Mitch Duncan, who has a broken foot, Josh Walker and Sam Blease.
The Blues will be strengthened by the return of Kade Simpson, who has missed two games with a calf injury, and young gun Patrick Cripps, who was a late withdrawal last week with bleeding/calf tightness.
They've also brought in forward Liam Jones and Dylan Buckley, having dropped David Ellard, Matthew Watson, Kristian Jaksch and Matthew Dick.
Lachie Henderson and Andrew Walker remain out injured, and the Blues have elected to leave Matthew Kreuzer in the VFL for a third straight week after a long-term foot complaint.
As expected, St Kilda will be without captain Nick Riewoldt and Jack Lonie, after both were concussed last week against Adelaide, and have lost defender Luke Delaney to a hip issue.
Veteran midfielder Leigh Montagna has been named to face West Coast on Saturday at Etihad Stadium after being a late withdrawal last week with hamstring tightness, while Tim Membrey gets a reprieve after kicking three goals in the VFL.
Blake Acres is the Saints' other inclusion for his second senior game for the year.
The Eagles finally get vice-captain Scott Selwood back for his first game since round one but have lost youngster Dom Sheed to a fractured hand.
Jeremy McGovern also returns from a corked calf at the expense of defender Jackson Nelson.
Greater Western Sydney co-captain Phil Davis has been named for the Giants' home clash against Adelaide on Saturday after being a late withdrawal last week with a knee injury.
Josh Kelly also comes into the side after 36 touches and three goals in the NEAFL last week, but Lachie Whitfield is out with illness while Aidan Corr has been omitted.
The Crows have lost two players to injury – Matthew Jaensch to a season-ending knee and Brodie Smith to concussion from his collision with Riewoldt last week.
Cam Ellis-Yolmen and Josh Jenkins have come in to replace the unlucky pair.
Gold Coast has regained forward Tom Lynch from a calf injury and recalled Adam Saad and Luke Russell to face Collingwood on Saturday afternoon at Metricon Stadium.
Rodney Eade has omitted Greg Broughton, Matt Shaw and Zac Smith.
The Magpies will be bolstered by the return of Steele Sidebottom, who hasn't played since breaking his thumb in round one against the Brisbane Lions, and Alex Fasolo has been recalled after being an emergency last week.
Alan Toovey is out with the knee he injured last week and Patrick Karnezis has been omitted.
Fremantle's backline has been bolstered by the return of defender Luke McPharlin, who replaces Alex Pearce (back bruising).
The Dockers will host North Melbourne on Saturday night, with the Kangaroos set to travel without captain Andrew Swallow (hand) and Ben Brown (knee).
Trent Dumont comes in for his second AFL game to replace Swallow while Mason Wood will line up in Brown's place.
Essendon has named experienced trio Paul Chapman, Adam Cooney and Jake Carlisle, as well as Orazio Fantasia and Shaun Edwards, who is in line for his Bombers debut, for Sunday's clash with the Brisbane Lions at Etihad Stadium.
Jason Ashby (shoulder) and Kyle Langford (quad) are the casualties.
Claye Beams is set to line up for the Lions after being a late withdrawal from their win over Port Adelaide last week, along with Rohan Bewick and Liam Dawson after four goals in the NEAFL last week.
The Lions are yet to trim their squad.
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge still has no love for veteran ruckman Will Minson, who hasn't been named for Sunday's clash with Melbourne at the MCG.
Jarrad Grant kicked four goals in the VFL last week and has been added to the extended squad with Nathan Hrovat, Jack Macrae and former Swan Shane Biggs for his first run as a Bulldog.
Mitch Honeychurch is out with general soreness.
Paul Roos hasn't been shy at the selection table, with Jack Watts heading a list of six inclusions for Melbourne.
Watts is back after a one-week self-imposed VFL exile along with Jesse Hogan, Ben Newton, Max Gawn, Aidan Riley and Jack Fitzpatrick.
But Chris Dawes will miss with a calf, Christian Salem with a hamstring and Viv Michie has been omitted.
Port Adelaide has regained Ollie Wines, Alipate Carlile, Paul Stewart and Sam Gray for Kane Cornes' 300th and last AFL game on Sunday.
The Power have dropped Cam O'Shea for the clash with Richmond at Adelaide Oval.
The Tigers have regained Shane Edwards from a minor calf problem and Matt Arnot comes in for his first game of the year.
Ben Griffiths has been named – alongside Ty Vickery and Jack Riewoldt – for the first time the three have played together since round 12 last year.
All the ins and outs for round eight
Friday, May 22
Geelong v Carlton, Etihad Stadium, 7.50pm AEST
Geelong
In: T.Hawkins, A.Mackie, J.Kelly
Out: M.Duncan (foot), J.Walker, S.Blease
Carlton
In: K.Simpson, L.Jones, D.Buckley, P.Cripps
Out: D.Ellard, M.Watson, K.Jaksch, M.Dick
Saturday, May 23
St Kilda v West Coast, Etihad Stadium, 1.45pm AEST
St Kilda
In: L.Montagna, T.Membrey, B.Acres
Out: N.Riewoldt (concussion), L.Delaney (hip), J.Lonie (concussion)
West Coast
In: S.Selwood, J.McGovern
Out: D.Sheed (hand), J.Nelson
Greater Western Sydney v Adelaide, Spotless Stadium, 2.10pm AEST
Greater Western Sydney
In: P.Davis, J.Kelly
Out: A.Corr, L.Whitfield (illness)
Adelaide
In: C.Ellis-Yolmen, J.Jenkins
Out: M.Jaensch (knee), B.Smith (rested)
Gold Coast v Collingwood, Metricon Stadium, 4.35pm AEST
Gold Coast
In: A.Saad, T.Lynch, L.Russell
Out: G.Broughton, M.Shaw, Z.Smith
Collingwood
In: S.Sidebottom, A.Fasolo
Out: A.Toovey (knee), P.Karnezis
Hawthorn v Sydney Swans, MCG, 7.20pm AEST
Hawthorn
In: B.Lake, J.Lewis, I.Smith
Out: J.Simpkin, T.Duryea, A.Litherland
Sydney Swans
In: H.Cunningham
Out: D.Towers
Fremantle v North Melbourne, Domain Stadium, 5.40pm AWST
Fremantle
In: L.McPharlin
Out: A.Pearce (back bruising)
North Melbourne
In: M.Wood, T.Dumont
Out: A.Swallow (hand), B.Brown (knee)
Essendon v Brisbane Lions, Etihad Stadium, 1.10pm AEST
Essendon
In: P.Chapman, A.Cooney, J.Carlisle, S.Edwards, O.Fantasia
Out: J.Ashby (shoulder), K.Langford (quad)
Brisbane Lions
In: R.Bewick, C.Beams, L.Dawson
Out: -
New: Liam Dawson (Aspley)
Melbourne v Western Bulldogs, MCG, 3.20pm AEST
Melbourne
In:J.Fitzpatrick, J.Watts, M.Gawn, A.Riley, B.Newton, J.Hogan
Out: C.Dawes (calf), V.Michie, C.Salem (hamstring)
Western Bulldogs
In:J.Grant, N.Hrovat, J.Macrae, S.Biggs
Out: M.Honeychurch (general soreness)
New: Shane Biggs (Sydney Swans)
Port Adelaide v Richmond, Adelaide Oval, 4.10pm ACST
Port Adelaide
In:A.Carlile, P.Stewart, S.Gray, O.Wines
Out: C.O'Shea
Richmond
In: S.Edwards, B.Griffiths, M.Arnot
Out: -
