Brownlow Medal favourite Gary Ablett, four-time All Australian Matthew Scarlett, Andrew Mackie and Travis Varcoe are certain starters to tackle the Demons after missing last week’s 43-point loss to the Brisbane Lions.
Veteran defender Darren Milburn (ankle) and vice-captain Cameron Ling (knee) are rated 50-50 propositions by coach Mark Thompson.
“Andrew Mackie, Gary Ablett, Matthew Scarlett and Travis Varcoe will play,” Thompson said. “Milburn is a really good chance, and so is Ling.”
While some stars will return, leading goalkicker Steve Johnson (hip) and ball winner James Kelly (hamstring) look set for another week on the sidelines.
Kelly has already been ruled out for Saturday’s match while Johnson has missed the last two weeks with a hip complaint.
“He’s more likely not to play but he hasn’t been ruled out for this week yet,” Thompson said of Johnson.
Meanwhile, the ongoing Brad Ottens saga shows no signs of ending after the club again listed him as two-to-three weeks from resuming.
Thompson said at some point the club had to roll the dice with its No.1 ruckman.
“I think we’re going to try and get him to a stage where we think he’s not 100 per cent but fit enough to play and just see how he goes,” he said.
“I think he’ll probably need five games because he’s a bit slow to start normally.
“That looks like round 18.”
Ottens has not played since injuring his medial ligament in round two. Thompson said Ottens' fitness level would determine if he returned through the AFL or the VFL.
“If he’s only able to 30 or 40 per cent of the game then you’d try the VFL,” he said.
“But if he was right for 50 (per cent) then we’d play him in the AFL probably.”
