Collingwood
The Magpies are unlikely to make many changes to the side that came from behind to beat Adelaide. However the possible availability of a couple of key players from injury will force coach Mick Malthouse to think hard at the selection table. Should Josh Fraser (knee) be deemed fit to tackle Geelong, he will almost certainly return. While Scott Pendlebury (broken leg) could only be considered an outside chance of returning, Dayne Beams will push for a recall if his calf has recovered sufficiently from the strain he sustained in the qualifying final loss. From the Pies’ VFL side last week, only Danny Stanley is likely to be in contention after a strong showing against Williamstown on Saturday.

Geelong
There are two almost certain ins for the Cats this week, with the return of Steve Johnson and Max Rooke from injury. Johnson has had hip surgery in Tasmania, while Rooke has recovered from a quad injury. Who makes way for them is the tough question for the match committee – Matthew Stokes tends to do well against the Magpies, so he’s probably safe, which means Simon Hogan, Shannon Byrnes or David Wojcinski could be making way.

St Kilda
The Saints are unlikely to have any forced changes to the side for this week but have plenty of players knocking on the door of selection. Once again Max Hudghton is a topic of discussion but is unlikely to be brought in because of the Bulldogs’ lack of tall timber up forward. David Armitage, Ben McEvoy and Jarryn Geary have all spent much of the season on the fringes of the senior side and will once again press for selection.

Western Bulldogs
Rodney Eade looks unlikely to make any changes to his winning side, but has said defender Tom Williams will come into the mix after returning from a broken foot in the VFL on Saturday. Considering St Kilda's twin forward towers, the inclusion of Williams would give the Dogs some much-needed height down back. Dylan Addison and Josh Hill were floated as other possible inclusions, while Andrejs Everitt, Wayde Skipper and Easton Wood have continued to train with the seniors despite Williamstown's season ending on the weekend.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.