- Tigers drop four and lose key ruckman Toby Nankervis
- Cats dump quartet amid five changes for Hawks clash
- De Goey back, no Howe, as Pies lose three father-sons
RICHMOND removed any doubt about how seriously it is taking Saturday's clash with Gold Coast, selecting flag heroes Dion Prestia, Bachar Houli, Jack Graham and Nathan Broad.
Coach Damien Hardwick earlier hinted the quartet might not all play in the AFL this week, but later chose to bring them straight into the senior side off injury to take on the Suns.
Ivan Soldo will also play his first match since round 21 last year in place of premiership ruckman Toby Nankervis (quad).
Tigers Jacob Townsend, Sam Lloyd, Connor Menadue and Liam Baker are headed back to the VFL, while the Suns welcome back captain Steven May and David Swallow.
Gold Coast also brought in Jesse Joyce, Ben Ainsworth, Brayden Crossley and Jarryd Lyons.
Injured trio Peter Wright, Jesse Lonergan and Sean Lemmens and omitted Max Spencer, Jacob Dawson and Jacob Heron make way.
FULL TEAMS Check 'em out here
Among the big names set to return are Geelong's Tom Stewart, Suns Steven May and David Swallow, Collingwood's Jordan De Goey, Giants Tim Taranto and Dylan Shiel, and North Melbourne's Shaun Higgins.
Geelong has made mass changes for Saturday's blockbuster clash with Hawthorn at the MCG on Saturday.
All Australian contender Tom Stewart is back to strengthen the Cats' backline, while in-form ruckman Rhys Stanley, James Parsons, Quinton Narkle and Mark O'Connor also come in.
Jed Bews (shoulder) didn't recover in time to play, and Jackson Thurlow, Jamaine Jones, Jordan Cunico and Ryan Abbott were all omitted.
O'Connor's fellow Irishman Conor Nash, promoted off the rookie list last month, will make his AFL debut – in place of Brendan Whitecross (illness) – for the Hawks.
St Kilda has swung the changes ahead of its latest Friday night game, bringing in Ben Paton for his first game, as well as Bailey Rice, Ben Long and big men Lewis Pierce and Rowan Marshall.
Josh Battle (concussion), Tom Hickey (hamstring) and omitted trio Luke Dunstan, Nick Coffield and Hunter Clark, who has been ill, come out for the Saints, who face an unchanged Essendon.
Jeremy Howe (concussion) won't play, but Collingwood regains Jordan De Goey, James Aish and Adam Oxley for Saturday night's important clash with Brisbane at Etihad Stadium.
Darcy Moore (hamstring) is back on the sidelines and the Pies dropped fellow sons of guns Callum Brown and Josh Daicos.
The Lions swapped in Tom Cutler, who missed the past fortnight because of suspension, for Ryan Bastinac.
Greater Western Sydney experienced joy and despair at the selection table this week ahead of its trip to Canberra to host Adelaide on Saturday night.
Dylan Shiel, Tim Taranto, Ryan Griffen and Sam Reid all return, but Dawson Simpson (ankle), Toby Greene (hamstring), Sam Taylor (hamstring) and Brett Deledio (calf) were forced outs.
The Crows recalled Kyle Cheney and Richard Douglas to cover for dual All Australian defender Daniel (leg) and Riley Knight (knee).
Shaun Higgins will return from minor right knee surgery for North Melbourne as the Roos continue their finals push against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday.
Prized draftee Luke Davies-Uniacke is another potential inclusion, while Billy Gowers is one of four possible additions for the Bulldogs.
The Dogs rested Roarke Smith after he sustained a concussion last week.
Melbourne dasher Jayden Hunt could return to face Sydney for his first senior match since round seven as the replacement for Joel Smith (collarbone).
The MCG showdown is critical for both clubs, with the Swans including triple All Australian Dan Hannebery.
Fremantle named Sam Switkowski in its extended squad for what would be his first AFL game, with a minimum of three changes to be made.
Stephen Hill (quad), Darcy Tucker (back) and Andrew Brayshaw (jaw) are forced out.
The Dockers' opponent, Carlton, may regain Matthew Kreuzer, but will be without Matthew Kennedy (ankle) and omitted Cam O'Shea.
Friday, August 10
Essendon v St Kilda at Etihad Stadium, 7.50pm AEST
ESSENDON
No change
ST KILDA
In: B.Paton, B.Rice, L.Pierce, R.Marshall, B.Long
Out: J.Battle (concussion), T.Hickey (hamstring), L.Dunstan, N.Coffield, H.Clark
New: Ben Paton (Murray U18)
Saturday August 11
Hawthorn v Geelong at the MCG, 1.45 pm AEST
HAWTHORN
In: C.Nash
Out: B.Whitecross (illness)
New: Conor Nash (County Meath, Ireland)
GEELONG
In: T.Stewart, J.Parsons, Q.Narkle, R.Stanley, M.O'Connor
Out: J.Thurlow, J.Jones, J.Cunico, R.Abbott, J.Bews (shoulder)
Gold Coast v Richmond at Metricon Stadium, 2.10pm AEST
GOLD COAST
In: J.Joyce, S.May, D.Swallow, B.Ainsworth, B.Crossley, J.Lyons
Out: M.Spencer, J.Lonergan (injured), P.Wright (knee), S.Lemmens (hand), J.Dawson, J.Heron
RICHMOND
In: D.Prestia, B.Houli, J.Graham, N.Broad, I.Soldo
Out: T.Nankervis (quad), J.Townsend, S.Lloyd, C.Menadue, L.Baker
Port Adelaide v West Coast at Adelaide Oval, 4.05pm ACST
PORT ADELAIDE
In: D.Howard, S.Gray, A.Johnson
Out: R.Bonner, S.Powell-Pepper, J.Hombsch
WEST COAST
In: B.Ah Chee, D.Sheed
Out: W.Schofield (hamstring), A.Gaff (suspension)
Collingwood v Brisbane at Etihad Stadium, 7.25pm AEST
COLLINGWOOD
In: J.Aish, J.De Goey, A.Oxley
Out: D.Moore (hamstring), C.Brown, J.Daicos
BRISBANE
In: T.Cutler
Out: R.Bastinac
Greater Western Sydney v Adelaide at UNSW Oval, 7.25pm AEST
GWS
In: D.Shiel, T.Taranto, S.Reid, R.Griffen
Out: D.Simpson (ankle), T.Greene (hamstring), S.Taylor (hamstring), B.Deledio (calf)
ADELAIDE
In: K.Cheney, R.Douglas
Out: R.Knight (knee), D.Talia (leg)
Sunday, August 12
North Melbourne v Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium, 1.10pm AEST
NORTH MELBOURNE
In:S.Higgins, L.Davies-Uniacke, T.Murphy, D.Mountford
Out: -
WESTERN BULLDOGS
In: B.Gowers, L.Young, M.Honeychurch, T.English, C.Porter
Out: R.Smith (rested)
New: Callum Porter (Gippsland U18)
Fremantle v Carlton at Optus Stadium, 2.40pm AWST
FREMANTLE
In: T.Duman, T.Sheridan, S.Giro, S.Jones, S.Kersten, R.Nyhuis, S.Switkowski
Out: S.Hill (quad), D.Tucker (back), A.Brayshaw (jaw)
New: Sam Switkowski (Box Hill)
CARLTON
In: M.Kreuzer, S.Kerridge, J.Silvagni, P.Kerr, H.Macreadie, A.Mullett
Out: C.O'Shea, M.Kennedy (ankle)
Melbourne v Sydney at the MCG, 3.20pm AEST
MELBOURNE
In: D.Kent, M.Hannan, C.Pedersen, S.Weideman, J.Hunt
Out: J.Smith (shoulder)
SYDNEY
In: D.Cameron, D.Hannebery, G.Rohan, D.Towers
Out: -
