SYDNEY Swans full-back Leo Barry is out of Saturday night's blockbuster with Geelong.
Swans coach Paul Roos said Barry's absence was aimed at helping him fully overcome a hamstring complaint.
"Leo won't play. We didn't expect him to, really," Roos said on Friday.
"He did it [the hamstring] again last week but we didn't know how bad. He pulled up well the next day and even now it's not too bad.
"So we let him go through the rehab but last night he wasn't too comfortable stretching out. Hopefully it's just a small, minor re-tear from last week that shouldn't keep him out for too much longer."
Among the three inclusions for the Swans is Nic Fosdike, who last played a senior game of football in last year's elimination final loss to Collingwood and he's hoping the clash with Geelong can banish those sour memories.
The midfielder has played two games in the reserves and has been back in full training for about three or four weeks.
Fosdike, 28, admitted it had been his toughest year to date after knee and hamstring injuries.
He said there was a time when he thought he wouldn't play this season, so that made him thankful just to be playing footy again.
"It's fantastic to be back and it's a huge game. To win against a team like Geelong would give us a massive lift.
"But on the weekend it's about putting in a consistent four quarter effort, win or lose. That'll put us in good stead for the games ahead."
Fosdike, who joined the club in 1999 and played in the 2005 and 2006 grand finals, said concentration was the key to Saturday night's test.
He expected to be one of the players who would be rotated through the midfield against the best midfield in the competition.
"We believe we can beat them. We can go into our shell sometimes, so we've just got to back ourselves."