- Tom Mitchell returns for Swans
- Spencer White to debut for Saints
- Richmond unchanged, Conca an emergency
YOUNG gun Tom Mitchell will play his fifth game of the season for the Sydney Swans against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon at Etihad Stadium.
Mitchell has battled injury and form issues since his last senior game in round four.
Rhyce Shaw and Nick Smith have been included after the Swans lost Josh Kennedy (hamstring) and Craig Bird (knee) to injury. Dean Towers also missed out.
The Bulldogs sprung a major surprise on Thursday by dropping last year's All Australian ruckman Will Minson.
The Dogs also omitted Jarrad Grant, Sam Darley and Lachie Hunter. Jackson Macrae, Ayce Cordy, Nathan Hrovat, and Lin Jong come into the side.
St Kilda named Spencer White to make his AFL debut against Richmond at the MCG on Sunday. The Saints also named Clinton Jones and Brodie Murdoch.
James Gwilt and Josh Saunders have both been omitted while Shane Savage was withdrawn on Friday afternoon after fracturing his arm at training.
The Tigers will go in unchanged despite Reece Conca being available after serving a two-match suspension.
Ash McGrath comes into the Brisbane Lions' team for his farewell game, against Fremantle at the Gabba on Sunday.
He replaces Marco Paparone who is missing with a shoulder injury.
Garrick Ibbotson and Nick Suban return for the Dockers alongside star forward Hayden Ballantyne.
Max Duffy has been omitted after Fremantle had already lost Nat Fyfe (suspension) and Michael Barlow (thumb).
Meanwhile, Hawthorn has swung the axe ahead of its blockbuster clash with Geelong at the MCG on Saturday night, dropping four players as it welcomes back premiership stars Jarryd Roughead and Brad Sewell.
The Hawks reacted strongly to their loss to Fremantle last Sunday, with Ben McEvoy, Ryan Schoenmakers, Taylor Duryea and Tim O'Brien all omitted.
Matt Spangher and Jonathon Ceglar also come into Hawthorn's team, while arch rival Geelong has been bolstered by the return of Jimmy Bartel (corked thigh) and Jordan Murdoch (hip) from injury.
The Cats dropped Billie Smedts and Jed Bews from the team that fell over the line against Carlton last Friday night.
Collingwood has made six changes to the team that was thrashed by the Brisbane Lions last Saturday night, with five of those forced by injury.
Travis Cloke (ankle), Dayne Beams (knee), Ben Reid (hamstring), Heritier Lumumba (leg), Alan Toovey (groin) will all be sidelined for this Saturday's clash with Greater Western Sydney, while Ben Kennedy was omitted.
Captain Scott Pendlebury returns from a corked quad, with Sam Dwyer, Jesse White, Josh Thomas, Tom Langdon and debutant Jackson Ramsay also coming into the Pies' team.
The Giants lose skipper Callan Ward (calf) and key forward Jonathon Patton (anterior cruciate ligament) to injury, with veteran Josh Hunt and Tim Golds their replacements.
North Melbourne has replaced suspended stars Brent Harvey and Daniel Wells with key defender Lachlan Hansen, who returns after two weeks out with a hip injury, and forward Kayne Turner for its clash with Adelaide at Blundstone Arena on Saturday.
The Crows welcome back veterans Scott Thompson and Ben Rutten along with Rory Laird, with David Mackay (concussion), Sam Shaw (hamstring) and Mitchell Grigg (omitted) going out of the side.
Port Adelaide will be bolstered by the return from injury of key defender Jackson Trengove and Angus Monfries for their clash with Carlton at Adelaide Oval on Friday night, with Tom Logan and Aaron Young making way for the star pair.
The Blues have lost Dale Thomas (knee) to injury, along with David Ellard (ankle), but Troy Menzel (AC joint) has been named.
Carlton will give Nick Holman his AFL debut against the Power, while Kane Lucas and Blaine Johnson will also return. Dennis Armfield was omitted.
Essendon regains key forward Jake Carlisle from a back injury for its game against Gold Coast at Etihad Stadium on Saturday, but loses star midfielder Dyson Heppell to a hand injury.
The Bombers dropped midfielder Jake Melksham and have recalled small forward Orazio Fantasia.
The Suns will be without key forward Charlie Dixon (quad) and have dropped Louis Herbert, bringing in Matt Shaw and Charlie Cameron.
Mark LeCras returns from a calf injury for West Coast's clash with Melbourne at Patersons Stadium on Saturday, with Simon Tunbridge making way.
Melbourne has dropped Aiden Riley and Dom Barry in the wake of its disastrous loss to Greater Western Sydney last Sunday, with Jack Grimes ruled out with a hamstring injury.
The Demons have recalled Rohan Bail, Jack Fitzpatrick and Cameron Pedersen.
Friday, August 22
Port Adelaide v Carlton at Adelaide Oval, 7.20pm ACST
Port Adelaide
In: A.Monfries, J.Trengove
Out: T.Logan, A.Young
Carlton
In: K.Lucas, N.Holman, B.Johnson
Out: D.Thomas (knee), D.Armfield, D.Ellard (ankle)
New: Nick Holman (Murray U18)
Saturday, August 23
North Melbourne v Adelaide at Blundstone Arena, 1.45pm AEST
North Melbourne
In: L.Hansen, K.Turner
Out: D.Wells (suspension), B.Harvey (suspension)
Adelaide
In: S.Thompson, B.Rutten, R.Laird
Out: D.Mackay (concussion), S.Shaw (hamstring), M.Grigg
Essendon v Gold Coast at Etihad Stadium, 2.10pm AEST
Essendon
In: J.Carlisle, O.Fantasia
Out: J.Melksham, D.Heppell (hand)
Gold Coast
In: M.Shaw, C.Cameron
Out: C.Dixon (quad), L.Herbert
Greater Western Sydney v Collingwood at Spotless Stadium, 4.40pm AEST
GWS
In: J.Hunt, T.Golds
Out: C.Ward (calf), J.Patton (knee)
Collingwood
In: S.Dwyer, J.White, S.Pendlebury, J.Thomas, T.Langdon, J.Ramsay
Out: H.Lumumba (leg), B.Reid (hamstring), T.Cloke (ankle), A.Toovey (groin), D.Beams (knee), B.Kennedy
New: Jackson Ramsay (East Perth)
West Coast v Melbourne at Patersons Stadium, 5.40pm AWST
West Coast
In: M.LeCras
Out: S.Tunbridge
Melbourne
In: R.Bail, J.Fitzpatrick, C.Pedersen
Out: J.Grimes (hamstring), A.Riley, D.Barry
Hawthorn v Geelong at the MCG, 7.40pm AEST
Hawthorn
In: B.Sewell, J.Roughead, M.Spangher, J.Ceglar
Out: B.McEvoy, R.Schoenmakers, T.Duryea, T.O’Brien
Geelong
In: J.Bartel, J.Murdoch
Out: B.Smedts, J.Bews
Sunday, August 24
Brisbane Lions v Fremantle at the Gabba, 1.10pm AEST
Brisbane Lions
In: A.McGrath
Out: M.Paparone (shoulder)
Fremantle
In: G.Ibbotson, H.Ballantyne, N.Suban
Out: N.Fyfe (suspension), M.Barlow (thumb), M.Duffy
Western Bulldogs v Sydney Swans at Etihad Stadium, 3.20pm AEST
Western Bulldogs
In: A.Cordy, N.Hrovat, L.Jong, J.Macrae
Out: W.Minson, J.Grant, L.Hunter, S.Darley
Sydney Swans
In: R.Shaw, N.Smith, T.Mitchell
Out: J.Kennedy (hamstring), C.Bird (knee), D.Towers
Richmond v St Kilda at the MCG, 4.40pm AEST
Richmond
No change
In: C.Jones, B.Murdoch, S.White
Out: S.Savage (broken arm), J.Saunders, J.Gwilt
New: Spencer White (Western U18)
