The Western Bulldogs have dropped key recruit Tim O’Brien for Friday night’s showdown against Sydney.
The Dogs have omitted four players, including O’Brien, but are bolstered by the returns of Ed Richards, Tim English and Mitch Hannan.
Sydney, meanwhile, will be without Tom Hickey due to illness, while key striker Logan McDonald has been sacked.
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Gold Coast will be without fit striker Izak Rankine for the team’s crucial game against Richmond.
Rankine has entered health and safety protocols along with Oleg Markov, with Sam Day and Jack Lukosius among the Suns inclusions.
Josh Gibcus will miss the Tigers ’illness while Dustin Martin and Kane Lambert are injured.
The Brisbane Lions have made seven forced changes before their Sunday game against Essendon.
Three players are out due to safety and health protocols, including Keidean Coleman after a performance of his best performance last week.
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Melbourne and Geelong have made oddly similar inclusions for their clash at the top of the table, each winning their captain and an emerging emerging superstar.
As noted earlier in the week, the Demons have appointed rucks Max Gawn (syndesmosis) and Luke Jackson (knee) to return from injury.
Without the pair, Melbourne lost the baptismal score by 44 against Adelaide, although their dominant midfielder still won the signings by five.
The incoming height makes Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin return to work his front line with Sam Weideman and Mitch Brown down. Last week’s deputy director Adam Tomlinson is once again in an emergency.
Meanwhile, the Cats welcome perennial midfielder Joel Selwood and young gun defender Sam De Koning.
The first was managed for last week’s North Melbourne coup, the second a late retirement that now replaces injured Jake Kolodjashnij.
Quinton Narkle will not leave Selwood in midfield, while last week’s substitute Shaun Higgins leaves the 26-man team completely.
AFFL BOARD 17 TEAMS (All hours EAST)
GEELONG CATS against MELBOURNE
Thursday, July 7, 7:20 p.m. at GMHBA Stadium
CATS
B: Z.Guthrie, S.De Koning, J.Bews
HB: J.Henry, M.Blicavs, Z.Tuohy
C: M.Duncan, J.Cameron, I.Smith
HF: T.Atkins, T.Hawkins, P.Dangerfield
F: B.Close, G.Rohan, T.Stengle
FOLL: R.Stanley, C.Guthrie, J.Selwood
I / C: S.Menegola, M.Holmes, M.O’Connor, G.Miers
EMG: F.Evans, Q.Narkle, M.Knevitt, S.Neale
EN: S. De Koning, J. Selwood
OUT: Q.Narkle (omitted), S.Higgins (substitute), J.Kolodjashnij (injured)
DIMONIS
B: H.Petty, J.Lever, S.May
HB: C.Salem, M.Hibberd, J.Bowey
C: A.Brayshaw, C.Oliver, E.Langdon
HF: K.Pickett, L.Jackson, T.Bedford
F: A.Neal-Bullen, B.Brown, C.Spargo
FOLLOW: M.Gawn, C.Petracca, J.Viney
I / C: J.Harmes, J.Jordon, B.Fritsch, T.Sparrow
EMG: J. Melksham, A. Tomlinson, S. Weideman, J. Hunt
EN: L.Jackson, M.Gawn
OUT: S.Weideman, M.Brown (both omitted), A.Tomlinson (substitute)
SYDNEY SWANS v WESTERN BULLDOGS
Friday, July 8, 7:50 p.m. at the SCG
SWANS
B: R.Fox, T.McCartin, D.Rampe
HB: J.Lloyd, P.McCartin, J.McInerney
C: E.Gulden, C.Mills, O.Florent
HF: I. Heeney, L. Franklin, W. Hayward
F: T.Papley, S.Reid, J. Amartey
FOLLOW: P.Ladhams, L.Parker, J.Rowbottom
I / C: C. Warner, D. Stephens, B. Campbell, N. Blakey
EMG: R.Clarke, L.McDonald, J.Bell, H.Cunningham
EN: J. Amartey, P. Ladhams
OUT: L.McDonald (omitted), R.Clarke (substitute), T.Hickey (illness)
BULLDOGS
B: Richards, Gardner, Scott
HB: Williams, Keath, Dale
C: Hunter, Macrae, Bedendo
HF: Johannisen, Ugle-Hagan, Liberator
F: Bontempelli, Naughton, Weightman
FOLL: English, Dunkley, Treloar
I / C: West, Hannan, Garcia, Schache
EMG: O’Brien, McComb, Cleary, Sweet
EN: Richards, English, Hannan
OUT: O’Brien, Sweet, Crozier, McComb (all omitted)
COLLINGWOOD v. MELBOURNE NORD
Saturday, July 9, 1:45 p.m. at the MCG
RUQUES
B: Pendlebury, Howe, Quaynor
HB: Murphy, Maynard, Crisp
C: Sidebottom, N. Daicos, Hoskin-Elliott
HF: Elliott, De Goey, Mihocek
F: McCreery, Cameron, Noble
NEXT: Cox, Daicos, Adams
I / C: Lipinski, Ruscoe, Ginnivan, Henry
EMG: Brown, Macrae, Kelly, Carmichael
EN: Howe
OUT: Moore (injured), Chugg (substitute)
KANGAROO
B: Scott, McKay, Young
HB: McDonald, Corr, Lazarus
C: Powell, Davies-Uniacke, Greenwood
HF: Curtis, Larkey, Stephenson
F: Zurhaar, Ziebell, Taylor
NEXT: Goldstein, Simpkin, Anderson
I / C: Bonar, Coleman-Jones, Spicer, Pérez
EMG: Mahony, Walker, Ford, Dawson
A: Scott, Ziebell, Bonar, Coleman-Jones, Pérez
OUT: Mahony, Bosenavulagi, Walker (all omitted), Turner, Hall, Charles (all injured)
GOLD COAST SUNS against RICHMOND
Saturday, July 9, 4:35 pm at Metricon Stadium
SOLS
B: Lemmens, Collins, Graham
HB: Bowes, Ballard, Ellis
C: Oreneta, Anderson, Sharp
HF: Rosas, Ainsworth, Casboult
F: Holman, Chol, Day
FOLLOW: Witts, Rowell, Miller
I / C: Fiorini, Flanders, Lukosius, Oea
EMG: Atkins, Burgess, Tsitas, Macpherson
EN: Sharp, Day, Lukosius
OUT: Tsitas (omitted), Budarick (injured), Rankine and Markov (both HS Protocol)
TIGERS
B: Miller, Tarrant, Grimes
HB: Baker, Broad, Rioli
C: Pickett, Short, McIntosh
HF: Rioli, Bolton, Aarts
F: Riewoldt, Edwards, Lynch
FOLLOW: Nankervis, Prestia, Ross
I / C: Ralphsmith, Soldo, Graham, Chestnut
EMG: Mansell, Sonsie, Dow, Cumberland
EN: Miller, Aarts, Prestia
OUT: Vlastuin (suspended), Gibcus (illness), Martin, Lambert (both injured)
ST KILDA v FREMANTLE
Saturday, July 9, 7:25 p.m., at Marvel Stadium
SANTS
B: Battle, Joyce, Wilkie
HB: Sinclair, Highmore, Webster
C: Hill, Ross, Billings
HF: Crouch, Membrey, Jones
F: Higgins, King, Marshall
FOLLOW: Ryder, Steele, Gresham
I / C: Wanganeen-Milera, Windhager, Wood, Butler
EMG: Long, Byrnes, Lienert, Sharman
EN: Joyce
OUT: Howard, Clark (both injured)
DOCKERS
B: Aish, Pearce, Young
HB: Cox, Ryan, Walker
C: Clark, Brayshaw, Hughes
HF: Schultz, Fyfe, Logue
F: Taberner, Lobb, Walters
FOLL: Darcy, Brodie, Serong
I / C: Mundy, Frederick, Colyer, Wilson
EMG: Banfield, Crowden, Meek, Henry
EN: Nil
FORA: Banfield (substitute)
PORT ADELAIDE v GWS GIANTS
Saturday, July 9, 7:30 p.m. at Adelaide Oval
POWER
B: Burton, Jonas, McKenzie
HB: Byrne-Jones, Alier, Houston
C: Amon, Drew, Farrell
HF: Butters, Marshall, Rozee
F: Gray, Dixon, Powell-Pepper
FOLLOW: Finlayson, Wines, Boak
I / C: Bergman, Georgiades, Burgoyne, Mead
EMG: McEntee, Duursma, Clurey, Mayes
EN: Butter
OUT: Jones (injured), Motlop (omitted)
GIANTS
B: Kennedy, Taylor, Cumming
HB: Haynes, Davis, Keeffe
C: Bruhn, Green, Kelly
HF: Peatling, Himmelberg, Whitfield
F: Lloyd, Hogan, Greene
FOLLOW: Flynn, Ash, Rabbit
I / C: Ward, Brown, Taranto, Wehr
EMG: Sproule, Hopper, Riccardi, O’Halloran
EN: Keeffe, Peatling
OUTPUT: Idun (HS Protocol), O’Halloran (omitted), Sproule (sub)
BRISBANE LIONS v ESSENDON
Sunday, July 10, 1:10 pm at the Gabba
LIONS
B: Andrews, Payne, Answerth
HB: Bailey, Adams, Starcevich
C: Robinson, McCarthy, Tunstill
HF: McCluggage, Hipwood, Rayner
F: Lester, Daniher, Cameron
FOLL: McInerney, Lyons, Neale
I / C (de): Cockatoo, T.Berry, Madden, Fullarton, Sharp, Fort, Mathieson, Michael
A: Robinson, Lester, Cockatoo, T.Berry, Madden, Fullaraton, Fort, Sharp, Mathieson, Michael
OUT: Rich, Zorko, J.Berry, Prior (all injured), Ah Chee, McStay, Coleman (all HS protocol)
BOMBARDERS
B: Zerk-Thatcher, Laverde, Heppell
HB: D’Ambrosio, Hind, Redman
C: McGrath, Merrett, Martin
HF: Langford, Guelfi, Hobbs
F: Wright, Stringer, Jones
NEXT: Draper, Shiel, Parish
I / C (de): Kelly, Caldwell, Waterman, Phillips, Durham, Ham, Ridley, Snelling
A: McGrath, Waterman, Ham
FORA: Nil
HAWHON v ADELAIDE CROWS
Sunday, July 10, 3:20 p.m. at Marvel Stadium
FALCONS
B: Blanck, Scrimshaw, Grainger-Barras
HB: Impey, Sicily, Hardwick
C: Jiath, Newcombe, Morrison
HF: Breust, Nash, Lewis
F: Koschitzke, McEvoy, Moore
FOLL: Reeves, Mitchell, O’Meara
I / C (de): Howe, Shiels, Macdonald, Ward, Maginness, Serong, Morris, Hartigan
A: Grainger-Barras, McEvoy, Howe, Ward, Serong, Maginness, Morris, Hartigan
OUT: Day (suspended), Bramble, Worpel, Butler (all injured), Gunston (personal reason)
CORBS
B: Doedee, Butts, Dawson
HB: Smith, Murray, Parnell
C: Odi, Laird, Jones
HF: McAdam, Fogarty, Soligo
F: McHenry, Walker, Rowe
FOLLOW: O’Brien, Keays, Berry
I / C (de): Crouch, Himmelberg, Thilthorpe, Murphy, Davis, Milera, Schoenberg, Hamill
A: McAdam, McHenry, Crouch, Himmelberg, Davis, Hamill
OUT: Hinge (HS protocol), Rachele (wound), Sholl (sub)
WEST COAST EAGLES v CARLTON
Sunday, July 10, 4:40 p.m. at Optus Stadium
NEEDLES
B: Hurn, Barrass, Bazzo
HB: Jones, Edwards, Duggan
C: Hough, Kelly, Redden
HF: Rioli, Darling, Cripps
F: Waterman, Kennedy, Ryan
FOLLOW: Naitanui, Shuey, Gaff
I / C (de): Petrevski-Seton, Petruccelle, Witherden, Trew, Foley, Williams, Clark, Culley
A: Edwards, Kennedy, Witherden, Foley, Clark, Culley
OUT: Yeo, West (both injured), Rotham (omitted)
BLUE
B: Saad, young, farmer
HB: Newman, Weitering, Docherty
C: O’Brien, Cripps, Kennedy
HF: Cottrell, C.Curnow, Silvagni
F: Motlop, McKay, Oats
FOLL: The King, Walsh, Hewett
I / C (de): Newnes, Cerra, Fisher, C.Durdin, Honey, Hayes, Setterfield, S.Durdin
EN: Weitering, Owies, Hayes, S. Durdin
OUT: Kemp (omitted)