SCOTT Burns will finally play his 250th game, Peter Everitt is back for the Sydney Swans and Fraser Gehrig has earned a recall as the weekend’s teams were announced on Thursday.

Burns has been on the verge of the milestone since round three, but has had trouble shaking a calf strain. Anthony Rocca is also back for Collingwood after being a late withdrawal from the victorious Anzac Day team.

Ryan Cook and Sharrod Wellingham have both been omitted, but have been named as emergencies with Shannon Cox.

Hawthorn has gone unchanged as it looks to continue its winning run at the MCG on Saturday.

Stuart Dew has recovered from the hamstring tear he suffered in round two, but could not force his way into the side to face the Pies and will be an emergency with Tim Clarke and Josh Kennedy.

Despite his injury battles, West Coast has named Dean Cox for Friday night’s match against Carlton, but has made four changes to the side that fell to the Bulldogs last week.

Chad Fletcher, Jamie Graham, Jamie McNamara and Mark Nicoski have all earned recalls to replace the suspended Daniel Kerr, injured duo Adam Hunter (knee) and Shannon Hurn (shin) and Brent Staker, who was dropped.

Mark Seaby and Scott Selwood join Staker on the emergency list.

Carlton has made three changes to the side that lost to Adelaide with Setanta O’hAilpin, Simon Wiggins and David Ellard, who comes off the rookie list to make his AFL debut, all making the trip to Perth.

Ellard, 19, is a lively small forward from Swan Districts in Western Australia who has impressed at VFL level in recent weeks.

Adam Hartlett (hamstring) and Bret Thornton (knee) were both injured last week while Darren Pfeiffer has been omitted. He has been named as an emergency along with Shaun Hampson and Jake Edwards.

Nick Davis has failed to keep his spot in the Sydney Swans' line-up ahead of their match against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon at the SCG.

Davis managed just nine disposals and a solitary goal in last week's draw against the Kangaroos, following on from chalking up similar figures in his 'comeback' match a week earlier.

Also going out is premiership midfielder Luke Ablett, who has succumbed to a calf injury.

As expected, Peter Everitt comes into the side for his first match of 2008, with ex-Geelong forward Henry Playfair named for his club debut. Nick Smith, Ben Mathews and Luke Brennan have also been named on an extended bench.

For the unbeaten Western Bulldogs, they've named an identical 22 to last week, but with Wayde Skipper, Stephen Tiller and Callan Ward named on a seven-man bench.

The Brisbane Lions are finally set to unleash Mitchell Clark for his first game of 2008 after the impressive young forward was ruled fit to play after succesfully completing three matches in the QAFL.

Also coming in are talented trio Ashley McGrath, Troy Selwood and Albert Proud, with the Lions hoping to add some speed to their side for the clash against Geelong at Skilled Stadium on Saturday.

Out of the side with injury goes Travis Johnstone (hamstring) and James Polkinghorne (AC Joint), with Lachlan Henderson and Scott Harding both omitted.

Reigning premiers Geelong will field an unchanged line up for the game after skipper Tom Harley, previously in doubt with a tight glute, was passed fit to play.

Debutant Shane Mumford holds his place as back up ruckman to Mark Blake as the Cats chase a 10th consecutive victory.

Adelaide’s James Sellar will make his highly-anticipated AFL debut against North Melbourne at AAMI Stadium on Saturday night. The local tall forward was recruited amid much fanfare in the first round of the 2006 draft and replaces Ken McGregor who has been omitted.

In the only other change, Kris Massie comes in for full back Ben Rutten who sustained a back injury last week.

McGregor is an emergency with Ivan Maric and Jarrhan Jacky.

North Melbourne will unveil a tall forward of its own in Adelaide with 22-year-old Josh Smith, pick 62 at last year’s draft, to play his first AFL game.

The Western Australian comes into the side along with Daniel Pratt and Leigh Brown, while Aaron Edwards (broken leg), Jess Sinclair (omitted) and Ed Sansbury (omitted) are missing from the team that recorded a draw with Sydney.

Gavin Urquhart, Ben Ross and Andrew Swallow are the emergencies.

Richmond has gone unchanged for Saturday night’s clash with St Kilda at Telstra Dome.

The Tigers pushed the Hawks at the MCG before going down by 12 points last week and coach Terry Wallace could find no room for veterans Kayne Pettifer and Joel Bowden, but Pettifer has been named on the emergency bench with Daniel Jackson and Trent Cotchin.

St Kilda has made three unforced changes as it looks to bounce back from a loss to the Power. Gehrig returns to the goalfront after two weeks in the VFL, while Michael Gardiner and Adam Schneider have both shaken off injuries to bolster the line-up.

Leigh Fisher, Michael Rix and Jason Blake were all dropped with the emergencies Raphael Clarke, Jarryd Allen and Ben McEvoy.

Fremantle forward Chris Tarrant will get the chance to prove his worth on Sunday afternoon after being selected at centre-half forward for the clash against Melbourne at the MCG.

The Dockers have also brought back in experienced duo Des Headland and Mark Johnson, with Andrew Foster, Brock O'Brien, Robert Warnock and Paul Duffield also named in the 25-man squad.

Antoni Grover and Roger Hayden are both out with injury, while Josh Carr is suspended and Clayton Hinkley has been dropped for Aaron Sandilands' 100th game.

For Melbourne, Matthew Whelan, Matthew Bate, Simon Buckley and Colin Garland have all been named, with Lynden Dunn the only omission at this stage.

Injury-ravaged Essendon will blood at least three first-gamers in Sunday’s encounter with Port Adelaide at Telstra Dome, including its first round pick from the 2007 NAB AFL Draft.

David Palmer, the No.6 pick in last year’s draft, will play his first game in the red and black while father-son selection Darcy Daniher and rookie-list player Jarrod Atkinson are the other Bombers to earn promotion. 

The trio is joined by Tom Hislop, Tom Bellchambers, Leroy Jetta, Jason Johnson and Jay Neagle as inclusions in the extended squad.

Chad Cornes (hand) is the only confirmed out from last week’s Port Adelaide squad with Robbie Gray, Nathan Lonie, Paul Stewart and Nick Lower all named on a seven-man bench.

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.