HAWTHORN will have three debutants in its line-up when it takes on the Cats in the grand final re-match at the MCG on Friday night.
First-round pick in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft Ryan Schoenmakers, Matthew Suckling and Brendan Whitecross have all earned a crack at Geelong after impressing during the pre-season.
And in good news for coach Alastair Clarkson, defenders Stephen Gilham, Campbell Brown and Grant Birchall have all been selected for the highly-anticipated clash.
Big man Robbie Campbell will miss with a slight hamstring injury, leaving Simon Taylor and Brent Renouf to carry the ruck duties.
The Hawks will have six players missing from their grand final team.
Geelong goes into Friday night’s blockbuster with just two changes to the side that lost last year’s premiership decider.
Ryan Gamble and David Wojcinski – the man who missed out last September – are both in for Geelong as Mark Thompson fields a strong squad.
Experienced defenders Josh Hunt and Tom Harley, both victims of knee injuries, are the two players from last year’s epic to miss the clash.
Brisbane Lions’ Rising Star fancy Daniel Rich will be thrown into the thick of AFL action after being named starting rover for his team’s season-opener against West Coast at the Gabba on Saturday.
Rich is the only first-gamer for the Lions as they try to start Michael Voss’s AFL coaching career in winning style.
Rhan Hooper has won a spot on the interchange bench, despite a somewhat wayward summer, while Matthew Leuenberger will carry the No.1 ruck role with Jamie Charman named as an emergency.
West Coast’s big guns are back for its season-opener against the Lions.
Skipper Darren Glass, Dean Cox, Andrew Embley and David Wirrpanda all missed the club’s final NAB Challenge hit-out two weeks ago but are fit and ready for the round one clash at the Gabba.
Embley has shaken off a knee complaint to be fit for the long road trip.
The Eagles won’t have any first-gamers but the likes of young trio Mitch Brown, Brad Ebert and Chris Masten will provide plenty of enthusiasm for John Worsfold’s team as it tries to get the season off on a positive note.
St Kilda won’t have any AFL debutants when they host the Sydney Swans at Docklands on Saturday night, but they will have two players making their debuts in a Saints jumper.
Former Bulldog Farren Ray and one-time Hawk Zac Dawson have both been named in the starting 18 to tackle Paul Roos’ team.
Michael Gardiner, Steven King and Justin Koschitzke have all been picked in the same side too, with the former Eagle given the nod – at least on paper – to take the first bounce.
Jesse White has seemingly won the initial battle to play the supporting role to Sydney Swans ruckman Darren Jolly.
White has been named to make his debut for the Swans against the Saints, the 196cm Queenslander one of two new faces in Paul Roos’ side.
The other is former Magpie Rhyce Shaw, who will make his debut in the red and white.
Collingwood has named a strong line-up for its clash against the Crows with Josh Fraser and Paul Medhurst shaking off pre-season niggles to take their place. However, Heath Shaw has been unable to come up from a lower back strain.
Mick Malthouse couldn't find a spot for talented youngsters Dayne Beams or Steele Sidebottom who have both impressed since joining the club via last year's NAB AFL Draft.
Beams has been named as an emergency alongside Leigh Brown and Danny Stanley.
Adelaide has named three debutants for the season opener with Myke Cook, Taylor Walker and Jared Petrenko all running out for the first time.
Jason Porplyzia, Nathan van Berlo and Ben Rutten have all been under an injury cloud, but take their places in the side, along with comeback kid Trent Hentschel, who will play his first game since 2006 after overcoming a serious knee injury.
Jonathon Griffin, Jarrhan Jacky and Robert Shirley are the emergencies.
Melbourne is certain to have at least one player running out for his first game in the red and blue jumper after naming five potential first-gamers.
The Demons take on North Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday and Jake Spencer, elevated from the rookie list earlier in the pre-season, has been named as the side’s starting ruckman.
But it is the make-up of the Demons’ extended interchange bench that will most intrigue fans, with a host of potential first-gamers set to get a run.
Former Adelaide big man John Meesen is among those named.
Jamie Bennell and Neville Jetta, from the 2008 draft crop, might get their chance, while Kyle Cheney is also in line to make his senior debut.
North Melbourne coach Dean Laidley will take a punt on youth with draftees Liam Anthony and Jack Ziebell certain to be included against the Demons.
Ziebell was the club’s first-round draft pick (No.9 overall) in 2008 while Anthony, a mature-age recruit, has also impressed with his ball-winning ability during the summer.
Nathan Grima, a rookie elevation after sitting out 2008, could also get a call-up later this weekend and make his debut after being named on the extended interchange bench.
Fremantle youngsters Stephen Hill and Nic Suban are in with a chance to make their AFL debuts after being named on an extended bench for Sunday's clash with the Bulldogs.
Luke McPharlin has been named despite struggling with an achilles injury over the past month while Paul Hasleby will play his first game since the 2007 season after missing all of last year as he recovered from a knee reconstruction.
The Western Bulldogs have named star pair Adam Cooney and Robert Murphy for the trip west after both have had limited preparations.
This week’s pesto victim Tim Callan appears on an extended bench, along with Andrejs Everitt and Tom Williams, who have battled glandular fever and a foot injury respectively over summer.
Josh Carr is in line to play the first game of his second stint with Port Adelaide after being named on an expanded bench, as is elevated rookie Wade Thompson, who will debut if he survives the cut on Friday.
Essendon's Michael Hurley will debut on Sunday after the No.5 pick was named at full back in the extended squad to take on the Power at AAMI Stadium.
Former Crow Hayden Skipworth is on the seven-man bench and will play his 45th AFL game and first with the Bombers if he remains after the squad is trimmed.
