Both of the club's VFL affiliates Werribee and North Ballarat will also be hit hard with several of their most important players likely to take the step up to the seniors.
The Roosters could be without as many as seven regular starters for their clash against Williamstown, including Aaron Black who sits second on the club's goal-kicking list. Daniel Pratt, Ben Cunnington and Shaun Atley, who've all been named in the Kangaroos' initial squad of 25, could also miss.
Also out are Cameron Richardson and brothers Luke and Cameron Delaney who have all ended their seasons prematurely to undergo shoulder surgery.
The trio are aiming to be fit and firing ahead of the club's pre-season trip to Utah.
The absence of many of the reigning premiers' AFL stars could provide an opportunity for developing ruckman Ben Mabon who has been named on an extended interchange bench.
It's a similar story for the Tigers who will see their stocks diminished if Jamie Macmillan and Ben Warren make the cut at North Melbourne.
Hamish McIntosh has already been confirmed as an inclusion, leaving Majak Daw to shoulder the ruck duties.
It looms as a battle of two undermanned sides on Saturday with opponent Box Hill also relying on its depth in the reserves to fill the void as Hawthorn rests its players for the finals.
For Werribee, it's a must-win match to keep its September dreams alive, while the Roosters are fighting for a Preliminary Final spot.
Williamstown vs. North Ballarat - 2nd Qualifying Final
Sunday 4th September
Box Hill City Oval at 2:00 PM
Williamstown
B: Rampe Frost* Stretton
HB: Gilbee Panos Stack
C: Howard Jolley Davies
HF: Goodes Hahn J. Hill
F: Cravino Skinner Hooper
R: Minson Djerrkura Addison
Int: Carr Smith McHarg Wilson Mulligan Johannisen McCallum Sing Grossman
North Ballarat
B: Mullett Sharkey Hoy
HB: Tate Tyler White
C: Norris Sewell Couch
HF: Linke George Micallef
F: Driscoll Darmody Hughes
R: Stephenson McKenzie Peters
Int: Cunnington Pratt Ross* Lynch Atley Towers Dare Giampaolo Evans Keeble Mabon Walker
Werribee Tigers vs. Box Hill Hawks - 1st Elimination Final
Saturday 3rd September
Avalon Airport Oval, Werribee at 2:00 PM
Werribee Tigers
B: MacMillan Hartigan Urquhart
HB: Harding Tighe Wormald
C: O'Dwyer Tuck Ross
HF: Mangan Pedersen Chisholm
F: Castello McKinley Warren
R: Daw Sharp Gleeson
Int: Treloar Still Martiniello Moloney Dickson Ruggles* S. Kennedy Lunardi Prismall McCormack Rockefeller Sullivan Mather
Box Hill Hawks
B: Mirra Pollard Kiel
HB: Sierakowski Boumann Tobin
C: Williams Jackson Wanganeen
HF: Gilchrist S. Gibson Northe*
F: Cass Pattison Neil
R: Ralph Kitchin Andrews
Int: Sketcher Cust Menegola Van Unen Hoegel Kennedy Mahony Purcell Nye
