CARLTON stars Patrick Cripps and Harry McKay will sit out Friday night's practice match against Sydney, while the Swans will be without co-captain Callum Mills and small forward Tom Papley due to injury.

Cripps and star forward Harry McKay won't make the trip to Sydney, although Cripps's absence is reportedly a precaution after he rolled his ankle against Collingwood last week and he is not in any doubt for the season opener against Richmond on March 16.

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Ruckman Marc Pittonet is back for the Blues after missing the match simulation against the Magpies, as is Paddy Dow, while Caleb Marchbank misses out due to a calf injury.

The Swans say Mills (finger) and Papley (ribs) are expected to play in round one despite missing Friday's game against the Blues, although Tom Hickey (calf), Robbie Fox (calf) and Ryan Clarke (hamstring) have all been ruled out of the start of the season.

Recruit Aaron Francis has been listed as an emergency by the Swans, but Nick Blakey is back having recovered from a recent bout of glandular fever while tall Hayden McLean also returns from a quad strain.

West Coast fans will get their first look at prized draftee Reuben Ginbey for its match against Adelaide, but ruckman Nic Naitanui (Achilles) will miss again as he battles to be fit for round one, giving young rucks Bailey Williams and Callum Jamieson another chance to impress.

Skipper Luke Shuey and small forward Jamaine Jones will play having missed last week's win over Port Adelaide, but Jai Culley and Samo Petrevski-Seton are absent along with key forward Jack Darling, who remains sidelined by an ankle injury.

Veteran forward Taylor Walker returns for the Crows having been rested for last week's match simulation against Fremantle, but Wayne Milera, Ned McHenry, Jackson Hately, Lachlan Murphy and Lachlan Sholl are all missing.

Essendon will be without Jake Stringer (hamstring) and Dyson Heppell (foot) for its match against St Kilda, with the pair both racing the clock for the opening round clash against Hawthorn on March 19.

Kyle Langford is also missing for the Bombers having faced the Suns last week, while Matt Guelfi remains sidelined by a calf problem.

The Saints' injury woes continued this week with Jack Billings ruled out for eight weeks, joining Max King, Jack Hayes, Zak Jones and Tim Membrey on the injured list, while Seb Ross will also miss the match against the Bombers.

St Kilda v Essendon at RSEA Park, 4.10pm AEDT

ST KILDA

B: D.Howard 20 J.Webster 29 C.Wilkie 44
HB: N.Wanganeen-Milera 7 J.Sinclair 35 J.Battle 26
C: B.Paton 33 M.Windhager 17 R.Byrnes 13
HF: M.Owens 10 M.Phillipou 25 J.Higgins 22
F: Z.Cordy 21 A.Caminiti 47 J.Gresham 4
Foll: R.Marshall 19 J.Steele - C 9 B.Crouch 5
I/C: M.Wood 32 L.Stocker 14 H.Clark 11 C.Sharman 43 T.Highmore 34 D.Butler 16 B.Hill 8 J.Bytel 23  

Emerg: N.Coffield 1 L.Connolly 37 O.Adams 27 T.Campbell 38 

Notable absentees: Seb Ross, Max King, Zak Jones, Jack Billings, Jack Hayes, Tim Membrey, Dan McKenzie

ESSENDON

B: M.Redman 27 J.Laverde 15 J.Ridley 14
HB: J.Kelly 29 B.Zerk-Thatcher 30 A.McGrath 1
C: S.Durham 22 Z.Merrett - C 7 W.Setterfield 12
HF: N.Martin 37 S.Weideman 10 A.Perkins 16
F: A.McDonald-Tipungwuti 43 P.Wright 20 H.Jones 23
Foll: S.Draper 2 D.Parish 3 D.Shiel 9
I/C: J.Caldwell 6 W.Snelling 11 N.Hind 19 K.Baldwin 26 A.Davey Jnr 33 A.Phillips 34 M.D'Ambrosio 42 J.Menzie 47  

Emerg: L.Hayes 18 R.Montgomerie 38 P.Voss 39 T.Wanganeen 40  

Notable absentees: Jake Stringer, Dyson Heppell, Kyle Langford, Nik Cox, Ben Hobbs, James Stewart, Elijah Tsatas, Matt Guelfi

Sydney v Carlton at Blacktown International Sportspark, 7.10pm AEDT

SYDNEY

B: D.Rampe 24 T.McCartin 30 O.Florent 13
HB: J.Lloyd 44 P.McCartin 39 J.McInerney 27
C: H.Cunningham 7 C.Warner 1 D.Stephens 3
HF: W.Hayward 9 S.Reid 20 L.McDonald 6
F: I.Heeney 5 L.Franklin 23 E.Gulden 21
Foll: P.Ladhams 19 J.Rowbottom 8 L.Parker - C 26
I/C: N.Blakey 22 B.Campbell 16 M.Roberts 34 H.McLean 2 A.Sheldrick 29 L.Rankin 41 W.Edwards 28 L.McAndrew 46  

Emerg: C.Mitchell 35 H.Hall-Kahan 45 C.Warner 37 A.Francis 10 

Notable absentees: Callum Mills, Tom Hickey, Tom Papley, Robbie Fox, Jacob Konstanty, Ryan Clarke, Aaron Francis

CARLTON

B: S.Docherty 15 J.Weitering - C 23 L.Plowman 20
HB: A.Saad 42 Le.Young 33 A.Cincotta 40
C: B.Acres 13 E.Curnow 35 A.Cerra 5
HF: Z.Fisher 25 C.Curnow 30 O.Hollands 14
F: J.Motlop 3 T.De Koning 12 J.Silvagni 1
Foll: M.Pittonet 27 M.Kennedy 7 G.Hewett 29
I/C: L.Cowan 26 L.O'Brien 4 P.Dow 2 M.Owies 44 J.Carroll 16 J.Binns 32 J.Honey 36 S.Durdin 38  

Emerg: B.Kemp 17 A.Mirkov 45 H.Lemmey 31 D.Akuei 41 

Notable absentees: Patrick Cripps, Harry McKay, Sam Walsh, Zac Williams, Jack Martin, Mitch McGovern, Nic Newman, Caleb Marchbank

West Coast v Adelaide at Mineral Resources Park, 4.40pm AWST

WEST COAST

B: S.Hurn 25 T.Barrass 37 T.Cole 28
HB: L.Duggan 14 J.McGovern 20 J.Hunt 5
C: A.Gaff 3 T.Kelly 11 D.Sheed 4
HF: X.O'Neill 24 J.Waterman 2 J.Cripps 15
F: L.Ryan 1 O.Allen 12 J.Jones 31
Foll: B.Williams 32 E.Yeo 6 L.Shuey - C 13
I/C: R.Ginbey 7 E.Hewett 8 C.Chesser 18 J.Petruccelle 21 A.Witherden 23 J.Rotham 35 G.Clark 39 C.Jamieson 40  

Emerg: S.Petrevski-Seton 10 C.West 36 H.Edwards 42 N.Long 44  

Notable absentees: Nic Naitanui, Jack Darling, Jai Culley, Sam Petrevski-Seton

ADELAIDE

B: J.Butts 41 T.Doedee 39 P.Parnell 37
HB: J.Dawson - C 12 N.Murray 28 B.Smith 33
C: M.Hinge 20 R.Laird 29 R.Sloane 9
HF: L.Pedlar 10 J.Rachele 8 B.Keays 2
F: I.Rankine 22 T.Walker 13 D.Fogarty 32
Foll: R.O'Brien 43 S.Berry 3 J.Soligo 14
I/C: W.Hamill 17 E.Himmelberg 34 M.Michalanney 16 H.Schoenberg 26 T.Brown 21 S.McAdam 23 R.Thilthorpe 7 M.Crouch 5  

Emerg: L.Murphy 4 J.Borlase 35 N.McHenry 25 C.Jones 1

Notable absentees: Jackson Hately, Lachlan Murphy, Lachlan Sholl, Ned McHenry, Wayne Milera