COLLINGWOOD will welcome back father-son duo Darcy Moore and Callum Brown for Saturday's monster match-up with Richmond, with the Tigers to blood a debutant for the game.
In other major team news, Taylor Walker is back for Adelaide, St Kilda has dropped a veteran again and Carlton will again be without Matthew Kreuzer.
Moore returns after being a late withdrawal last week with hamstring tightness but the Magpies will lose star forward Jordan De Goey (leg) and Brayden Sier (leg) to injury.
FULL TEAMS Check 'em out here
The Tigers have dropped Callum Moore and lost Connor Menadue to injury, while Jacob Townsend and Liam Baker are in. Baker, a small forward, will play his first game after a run of strong form at VFL level.
As reported on AFL.com.au on Wednesday, Essendon will finally play talented youngster Aaron Francis for his first game of the season in Friday night's test against Sydney.
Jake Stringer (calf) and Conor McKenna (groin) are back from injury, with the Bombers dropping Travis Colyer and Ben McNiece and losing Shaun McKernan to a season-ending hamstring injury.
The Swans have made two changes for the Etihad Stadium clash, bringing back Heath Grundy and Jordan Dawson for omitted pair Darcy Cameron and Harry Marsh.
First-year forward Lachie Fogarty is back for the Cats' meeting with Brisbane on Saturday, replacing Jamaine Jones.
Brisbane has regained veteran Luke Hodge while Harris Andrews will play his first game since he suffered a brain bleed following his heavy knock from GWS forward Jeremy Cameron in round 14.
The suspended Tom Cutler and omitted Cedric Cox go out of the side.
St Kilda has swung the axe, with experienced midfielder David Armitage one of four players out after last week's loss to Richmond.
Ed Phillips and Bailey Rice have also been cut, while youngster Hunter Clark has been managed for the clash against Greater Western Sydney on Saturday.
Blake Acres is in for his first game since round eight after a lingering groin issue, while Nick Coffield, Jack Lonie and Nathan Brown also return.
Young back Sam Taylor has replaced Lachlan Keefe as the Giants' only change.
Adelaide has lost NAB AFL Rising Star contender Tom Doedee to concussion but regains skipper Taylor Walker for Saturday night's important contest with Melbourne, who will go into the game unchanged after last week's after-the-siren loss to Geelong.
Gold Coast has been boosted for its clash with Carlton on Saturday night with David Swallow back from injury, and he's been joined in the Suns' line-up by Brayden Fiorini and Jack Bowes.
A win for the Suns would all but end any chance they have of claiming the wooden spoon, but they will be without injured trio Brayden Crossley (cheekbone), Charlie Ballard (knee) and Callum Ah Chee (ill).
Carlton has dropped key forward Levi Casboult for the second time in a month as one of five changes for the Blues' trip.
Kreuzer experienced an elevated heart rate in the Blues' loss to St Kilda two weeks ago and missed last round, and has not been selected again.
The Roos look set to regain Mason Wood from injury for their vital game against top-four contender West Coast in Tasmania on Sunday, while Will Walker will make his AFL debut.
Lewis Jetta will miss with injury for the Eagles, with the club naming an extended bench.
Western Bulldogs star Marcus Bontempelli is back from appendix surgery and one of six possible changes for the Dogs ahead of their meeting with Port Adelaide on Sunday.
They lose Billy Gowers (ankle), Tom Boyd (back) and Luke Dahlhaus (knee) to injury, with Fergus Greene to make his debut for the club.
Patrick Ryder has been named by Port Adelaide, while former North Melbourne forward Lindsay Thomas has been dropped as one of at least three changes for the Power.
Stephen Hill is among four possible ins for Fremantle when they face Hawthorn at Optus Stadium on Sunday, with ruckman Sean Darcy also back in the line-up, but there's still no Harley Bennell.
The Hawks get Jaeger O'Meara and Shaun Burgoyne back for the game as they hope to hold onto their place in the top eight.
Friday, July 27
Essendon v Sydney at Etihad Stadium, 7.50pm AEST
ESSENDON
In: C.McKenna, J.Stringer, A.Francis
Out: S.McKernan (hamstring), T.Colyer, B.McNiece
SYDNEY
In: H.Grundy, J.Dawson
Out: H.Marsh, D.Cameron
Saturday, July 28
Richmond v Collingwood at the MCG, 1.45pm AEST
RICHMOND
In: J.Townsend, L.Baker
Out: C.Moore, C.Menadue (injured)
New: Liam Baker (Subiaco)
COLLINGWOOD
In: C.Brown, D.Moore
Out: J.De Goey (leg), B.Sier (leg soreness)
Geelong v Brisbane at GMHBA Stadium, 2.10pm AEST
GEELONG
In: L.Fogarty
Out: J.Jones
BRISBANE
In: L.Hodge, H.Andrews
Out: T.Cutler (suspended), C.Cox
Greater Western Sydney v St Kilda at Spotless Stadium, 4.35pm AEST
GWS
In: S.Taylor
Out: L.Keeffe
ST KILDA
In: N.Coffield, B.Acres, J.Lonie, N.Brown
Out: H.Clark (managed), D.Armitage, E.Phillips, B.Rice
Gold Coast v Carlton at Metricon Stadium, 7.25pm AEST
GOLD COAST
In: B.Fiorini, D.Swallow, J.Bowes
Out: B.Crossley (cheekbone), C.Ballard (knee), C.Ah Chee (illness)
CARLTON
In: D.Thomas, C.Byrne, D.Lang, S.Rowe, J.Lamb
Out: M.Shaw, L.Jones (knee), Z.Fisher (leg), L.Casboult, N.Graham
Adelaide v Melbourne at Adelaide Oval, 7.10pm ACST
ADELAIDE
In: T.Walker
Out: T.Doedee (concussion)
MELBOURNE
No changes
Sunday, July 29
North Melbourne v West Coast at Etihad Stadium, 1.10pm AEST
NORTH MELBOURNE
In: N.Larkey, W.Walker, B.McKay, M.Wood, T.Murphy
Out: A.Morgan (calf)
New: Will Walker (Sandringham)
WEST COAST
In: J.Petruccelle, T.Barrass, J.Nelson, B.Ah Chee, J.Waterman
Out: L.Jetta (leg)
Western Bulldogs v Port Adelaide at Mars Stadium (Ballarat), 3.20pm AEST
WESTERN BULLDOGS
In: M.Bontempelli, F.Greene, L.Young, F.Roberts, S.Biggs, C.Porter, P.Lipinski
Out: L.Dahlhaus (knee), T.Boyd (lower back), B.Gowers (ankle)
New: Fergus Greene (Bendigo U18), Callum Porter (Gippsland U18)
PORT ADELAIDE
In: T.Jonas, S.Motlop, P.Ryder, B.Frampton, A.Johnson, K.Farrell, R.Bonner
Out: D.Howard (hand), K.Amon (knee), L.Thomas
New: Billy Frampton (South Fremantle), Kane Farrell (Bendigo U18)
Fremantle v Hawthorn at Optus Stadium, 2.40pm AWST
FREMANTLE
In: S.Hill, S.Darcy, A.Brayshaw, H.Ballantyne
Out: Nil
HAWTHORN
In: J.O'Meara, S.Burgoyne, M.Lewis, C.Nash, T.Duryea
Out: D.Howe (suspension)
New: Conor Nash (County Meath)
