ROUND 22 is departure round – both for eight of the 16 clubs in this year's competition, and for numerous players from those 16 clubs.
There will be a few tears shed by Melbourne fans with Demon veterans Adem Yze and Jeff White playing their last games for the club when it takes on Richmond at the MCG on Sunday.
The Dees have made no fewer than six changes as they try to avoid winning the wooden spoon.
Jack Grimes will make his debut for the club after being taken at pick 14 in the 2007 NAB AFL Draft, while James Frawley, Addam Maric, Ricky Petterd, Ben Holland and veteran defender Nathan Carroll have also been included.
Explosive young forward Austin Wonaeamirri is out with a hamstring injury, while Mark Jamar, Matthew Bate, Stefan Martin, Michael Newton and Lynden Dunn have all been omitted.
Experienced midfielder Greg Tivendale will play his 188th and last game for Richmond. It is only his third match of the season and the club has announced he will be delisted. He is joined in the side by Adam Pattison, with Tristan Cartledge and Daniel Connors the players omitted.
Essendon has any number of last-gamers, but has also included a debutant in its side to tackle the Saints at Telstra Dome on Sunday.
The Bombers have added 19-year-old Queenslander John Williams and recalled Leroy Jetta, while the season is over for Adam McPhee (ankle) and Andrew Welsh (hamstring).
St Kilda has is unchanged from the side that flogged Adelaide last weekend.
In Thursday night's selections, Collingwood confirmed that forgotten defender Simon Prestigiacomo will return from a foot injury for his first match of 2008.
Running midfielder Rhyce Shaw also earned a recall from a club-imposed suspension and a week in the VFL, while Nathan Brown and Danny Stanley round out the inclusions to replace injured captain Scott Burns (calf), Shane Wakelin (groin), Sharrod Wellingham (groin) and Alan Toovey (foot).
Fremantle named Clayton Hinkley and Andrew Browne to replace Steven Dodd and Brett Peake.
Forwards Aaron Edwards and Matt Campbell will line up for North Melbourne against Port Adelaide, with Jess Sinclair and Scott Thompson omitted.
The Power recalled youngster Robbie Gray in place of knee-hampered defender Troy Chaplin.
Premiership forward Mathew Stokes returns for Geelong, as does Ryan Gamble, with Shannon Byrnes dropped and Max Rooke suspended.
The Cats meet West Coast, who added Mark LeCras and Will Schofield and left out Tony Notte and the retired Michael Braun.
Adelaide made three changes ahead of its clash with the Western Bulldogs, welcoming Jason Porplyzia, Kurt Tippett and Bernie Vince in place of Brent Reilly, Brad Moran and Patrick Dangerfield.
The Dogs will unveil a pup, Queenslander Sam Reid, and defender Lindsay Gilbee comes in with Andrejs Everitt and Callan Ward making way.
Vice-captain Luke Hodge and first-choice ruckman Robert Campbell will bolster Hawthorn for its clash with Carlton on Saturday night, with veteran Shane Crawford to be rested and Simon Taylor battling soreness.
The Blues have stuck with the side that upset the Brisbane Lions.
The Lions responded by sweeping six ahead of their match against the Sydney Swans at the SCG. Ash McGrath (quad) and Matthew Moody (groin) are injured, but Robert Copeland, Travis Johnstone, Rhan Hooper and James Hawksley have been omitted.
Scott Harding, Troy Selwood, Lachlan Henderson, Tom Collier, Albert Proud and Scott Clouston received recalls.
And the Swans will give dual Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes a week to nurse his groin injury ahead of the finals. However, youngster Patrick Veszpremi's omission was unforced, as Luke Ablett and Nick Malceski got a nod.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
