OUTGOING Fremantle veteran Michael Johnson will play his first match since round 10 as a late replacement for ruckman Sean Darcy.
The Dockers were set to enter their clash with Essendon with an unchanged line-up, but made the call barely half an hour before the first bounce at Etihad Stadium after Darcy's groin tightened up in the warm-up.
Darcy, 20, limped from the ground with a groin injury in last week's nine-point victory over Port Adelaide and was under a cloud all week.
Third-gamer Scott Jones will instead carry the ruck burden in Darcy's and Sandilands' (calf) absence against Bombers big man Tom Bellchambers.
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon has already announced that neither Johnson nor Danyle Pearce will receive another contract.
Essendon's side is as selected, as it bids to beat the Dockers for just the second time in their past seven meetings.
FOLLOW IT LIVE Bombers v Dockers
Essendon v Fremantle at Etihad Stadium, 4.35pm AEST
LATE CHANGES
Essendon: Nil
Fremantle: Sean Darcy (groin) replaced in selected side by Michael Johnson
FINAL INTERCHANGES
Essendon: Kyle Langford, David Zaharakis, Mark Baguley, Ben McNiece
Fremantle: Adam Cerra, Tommy Sheridan, Darcy Tucker, Cam McCarthy
Sydney v Gold Coast at the SCG, 2.10pm AEST
NO LATE CHANGES
FINAL INTERCHANGES
Sydney: Darcy Cameron, Nic Newman, Harry Marsh, Robbie Fox
Gold Coast: Jarryd Lyons, Wil Powell, Michael Rischitelli, Jacob Heron
