Bartel leads high-profile inclusions

JIMMY Bartel leads a star-studded list of inclusions which includes Matthew Pavlich, Nathan Brown, Aaron Sandilands, Ben Cousins and Max Hudghton after teams for round 17 of the Toyota AFL Premiership Season were announced on Thursday.

There were also some notable absentees, with Nick Stevens, Matt Maguire and Mark Blake all named as emergencies for their respective sides.

Carlton has made two changes ahead of Friday night's blockbuster against the Pies with Michael Jamison and Mark Austin coming in for Joe Anderson (hamstring) and Adam Hartlett (omitted).

Hartlett is an emergency with Dennis Armfield and Cameron Cloke.

Collingwood has recalled Jaxson Barham, Chris Dawes and Steele Sidebottom for the clash.

Nathan Brown is out with a knee injury sustained in last week's loss to the Hawks, while Brad Dick and Sharrod Wellingham have been dropped. Wellingham is on the emergency list with Ben Reid and Tyson Goldsack.

Bartel makes a welcome return for Geelong in place of defender Tom Gillies for Saturday's encounter with the Hawks at the MCG.

Gillies drops back to the emergency list with Jeremy Laidler and Mark Blake.

In a measure of Hawthorn's improving health, the same 22 that defeated the Magpies last week will take on the Cats.

Cameron Stokes, Travis Tuck and Brendan Whitecross are the emergencies.

Fremantle breathes a sigh of relief with the return of inspirational skipper Matthew Pavlich for the big cross-town clash with the Eagles.

Man mountain Aaron Sandilands is also back while rookie Jay van Berlo, brother of Adelaide's Nathan, will make his AFL debut.

Andrew Foster is out with an ankle injury while Scott Thornton and Adam Campbell have been omitted. Thornton is joined on the emergency list by Marcus Drum and Clayton Hinkley.

West Coast has brought in a pair of youngsters in Scott Selwood and Tom Swift, with Eric Mackenzie and Adam Cockie making way.

Mackenzie is an emergency with 200-game veteran Tyson Stenglein and Ryan Davis.

The Brisbane Lions have made one forced change with Irishman Pearce Hanley in for his first game of the season.

He replaces Daniel Bradshaw in the line-up to face the Roos, with the big forward to be sidelined for up to three weeks with a hamstring injury.

Scott Harding, James Hawksley and Joel Tippett are the emergencies.

North Melbourne has settled on three changes with Gavin Urquhart, Ben Ross and Matt Campbell all earning recalls.

The trio replaces Leigh Adams, Nathan Grima and Daniel Pratt while Ed Lower, Daniel Harris and Aaron Edwards make up the emergency list.

St Kilda has recalled Max Hudghton for one of the most anticipated matches of the round against the Bulldogs.

The 33-year-old defender has only played three games this season with his last being the round 13 match against Richmond, when he suffered an ankle injury.

James Gwilt also forces his way back in, with suspended pair Justin Koschitzke and Zac Dawson out of the side that easily accounted for the Crows.

Despite the loss of the two talls, Maguire still can't break into the side for his first game of the year and is an emergency along with Jarryn Geary and Luke Miles.

The Western Bulldogs have decided to stick with the same 22 that overcame the Bombers last Friday night, with perennial emergencies Dylan Addison, Andrejs Everitt and Brennan Stack taking up their customary positions.

Dean Bailey has swung the changes at Melbourne with eight players added to a 25-man squad for Sunday's early game against the Sydney Swans in Canberra.

Brad Miller and Michael Newton are straight into the starting 18 while Paul Johnson, Kyle Cheney, Shane Valenti, Matthew Whelan and possible debutants Jordie McKenzie and Rohan Bail are on an expanded bench.

Out of the side go Brock McLean (knee), Mark Jamar (quad), Brad Green (scaphoid), Jack Grimes (back) and Russell Robertson (omitted).

The Sydney Swans will need to make at least one change after Ted Richards sustained a season-ending rib injury in the loss to the Blues.

His replacement will be one of Amon Buchanan, Jarred Moore, Michael Pyke and Kris Thornton, who all come onto the seven-man bench.

Essendon has recalled Nathan Lovett-Murray and Angus Monfries for Sunday's match against the Tigers. The pair goes straight into the starting 18 while Hayden Skipworth has been added to an extended bench.

The Bombers are yet to drop anyone from the side defeated by the Bulldogs last Friday.

Richmond's bid for a fourth win in 2009 has been boosted by the returns of Ben Cousins, Nathan Brown and Trent Cotchin.

Adam Thomson is also an inclusion, but is named on a seven-man bench, while Shane Tuck and Angus Graham have been omitted.

Adelaide regains Nathan van Berlo for the always-heated showdown with the Power, while Robert Shirley, Taylor Walker and Phil Davis are on the bench.

David Mackay will miss with a hamstring injury suffered against the Saints.

Port Adelaide has added Shaun Burgoyne, Troy Chaplin and Hamish Hartlett to an extended bench and is yet to drop anyone from the side that defeated the Eagles at AAMI Stadium last week.

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