GEELONG has responded to its loss to North Melbourne last weekend by axing five players, including veteran defender Josh Hunt and ruckmen Trent West and Mark Blicavs, for Saturday's clash with Port Adelaide at Simonds Stadium.

The Cats' decision to make multiple changes headlines the selections for round 20, with other notable inclusions being Jarrad Waite at Carlton and Jason Winderlich and David Hille  at Essendon.

Along with Hunt, West and Blicavs, Geelong has also dumped Billie Smedts and tagger Taylor Hunt.

Big forward James Podsiadly is back from suspension, while the Cats' midfield will be bolstered by the return of Allen Christensen and Jesse Stringer.

Former Melbourne defender Jared Rivers, whose season has been marred by knee injuries, will play his first AFL game since round five, while promoted rookie Josh Walker has won the job of sharing the rucking load with Nathan Vardy.

Port has made just one change, with Nathan Blee replacing Paul Stewart, who suffered a broken wrist in last Sunday's dramatic Showdown against the Crows.

Hawthorn will take a weakened line-up into Friday night's clash with St Kilda at Etihad Stadium after superstars Luke Hodge (thumb surgery) and Lance Franklin (hamstring soreness) were both ruled out.

The Hawks have also dropped ruckman Jonathon Ceglar. They have brought in Jonathan Simpkin, Matt Spangher and Sam Grimley.

The Saints have made five changes, selecting Jason Blake, James Gwilt, Jack Newnes, Brodie Murdoch and first-gamer Darren Minchington.

Tom Simpkin (leg), Rhys Stanley (shoulder), Arryn Siposs (shoulder) and Ahmed Saad (leg) are out injured. Sam Dunell has been dropped.

Riding high after its big win over Hawthorn last weekend, Richmond has made just one change for its clash with the Brisbane Lions at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.

Ty Vickery is back after recovering from concussion. He has replaced fellow big man Orren Stephenson.

The Lions have brought in Brent Moloney, Stefan Martin and Ryan Lester. They have lost skipper Jonathan Brown to a foot injury, Mitch Goldy to suspension and have dropped Rohan Bewick.

Waite, who has been sidelined by a knee injury since round 15, is the big inclusion in Carlton's team for its Saturday twilight game against the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium.

The Blues have also brought in ruckman Rob Warnock and youngster Troy Menzel and Josh Bootsma.

But Mick Malthouse's side has been hit hard by injuries, with Andrew Carrazzo and Matthew Kreuzer both suffering calf injuries.

Kane Lucas and Mitch Robinson have been dropped.

The Bulldogs have made three changes, with Mark Austin, Liam Jones and Easton Wood replacing Michael Talia (soreness), Lachie Hunter (rested) and Jack Macrae (soreness).

Collingwood is taking an unchanged side into Saturday night's big game against the Sydney Swans at ANZ Stadium.

The Swans have brought back speedy forward Ben McGlynn and have dropped youngster Jed Lamb.

Defender Troy Davis, who was drafted back in 2010, will make his debut for Melbourne in Saturday night's clash with Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium.

Jordie McKenzie has also come into the Demons' line-up, while Max Gawn and Jimmy Toumpas have both been omitted.

Gold Coast is taking an unchanged team into the match.

Essendon will make at least two changes for its game against West Coast at Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The Bombers have dropped Cory Dell'Olio and have lost Courtenay Dempsey to a hamstring injury.

They have brought Hill, Winderlich, Alwyn Davey, Ben Howlett and Tayte Pears into their 25-man squad.

Mark LeCras, Matt Priddis and Chris Masten are the big-name inclusions in the Eagles' squad.

Adelaide has rushed Rory Sloane back into its side for Sunday's home game against North Melbourne at AAMI Stadium.

 

Jason Porplyzia has also come into the Crows' squad, while Jarryd Lyons has been dropped.

The Kangaroos have brought Levi Greenwood, Will Sierakowski, Kieran Harper and Taylor Garner into their extended squad.

Brad McKenzie has been dropped.

Matthew Pavlich is back in Fremantle's team for Sunday's clash with Greater Western Sydney at Patersons Stadium.

 

The Dockers have lost small forward Clancee Pearce to a calf injury.

The Giants have dropped midfielder Dylan Shiel and have brought Sam Darley, Dom Tyson, Nathan Wilson and Tom Downie into their 25-man squad.

In: J.Blake, J.Gwilt, J.Newnes, B.Murdoch, D.Minchington 

Out: T.Simpkin (leg), R.Stanley (shoulder), A.Siposs (shoulder), A.Saad (leg), S.Dunell 

HAWTHORN

In:  J.Simpkin, M.Spangher, S.Grimley

Out: L.Hodge (thumb), L.Franklin (hamstring soreness), J.Ceglar

In: T.Vickery 

Out: O.Stephenson

BRISBANE LIONS

In: B.Moloney, S.Martin, R.Lester 

Out: J.Brown (foot), R.Bewick, M.Golby (suspension) 

GEELONG

In:  J.Podsiadly, J.Rivers, A.Christensen, J.Stringer, J.Walker  

Out: J.Hunt, T.West, T.Hunt, B.Smedts, M.Blicavs 

PORT ADELAIDE

In: N.Blee

Out: P.Stewart (broken wrist)

In: J.Waite, R.Warnock, T.Menzel, J.Bootsma

Out: A.Carrazzo (calf), M.Kreuzer (calf), K.Lucas, M.Robinson 

WESTERN BULLDOGS

In: M.Austin, L.Jones, E.Wood 

Out: M.Talia (soreness), L.Hunter (rested), J.Macrae (soreness) 

In: B.McGlynn

Out: J.Lamb

 

COLLINGWOOD

In: -

Out: -

In: -

Out: -

MELBOURNE

In: J.McKenzie, T.Davis 

Out: M.Gawn, J.Toumpas 

In: D.Hille, A.Davey, J.Winderlich, B.Howlett, T.Pears

Out: C.Dempsey (hamstring), C.Dell'Olio

 

WEST COAST

In: M.LeCras, M.Priddis, C.Masten, P.McGinnity

Out: A.Carter (rested)

In: J.Porplyzia, M.Jaensch, R.Sloane, S.Shaw 

Out: J.Lyons

NORTH MELBOURNE

In: L.Greenwood, W.Sierakowski, K.Harper, T.Garner 

Out: B.McKenzie 

In: M.Pavlich, G.Ibbotson, J.Crichton, H.Crozier

Out: C.Pearce (calf)

 

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

In: S.Darley, D.Tyson, N.Wilson, T.Downie

Out: D.Shiel