RICHMOND has axed Jack Ross and Mabior Chol for Sunday's crucial top-four encounter with ladder leaders Brisbane at the MCG.
The changes don't stop there, with the Western Bulldogs dropping experienced utility Jackson Trengove, Adelaide leaving out key defender Kyle Hartigan and Port Adelaide dumping midfield bull Sam Powell-Pepper for matches that could decide eighth spot on the ladder.
Ross and Chol make way as the Tigers welcome back skipper Trent Cotchin, who has missed the past three games with a hamstring injury.
Young big man Noah Balta has also been recalled in the absence of ruckman Toby Nankervis.
The Lions have brought in 22-year-old defender Cedric Cox for his first game of the season, and just the 13th of his career, replacing the injured Allen Christensen (hamstring).
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The Bulldogs have surprisingly dumped Trengove for their encounter with the Crows at Ballarat on Sunday.
Ruckman Tim English returns from illness and midfielder Rhylee West also is back in the side, with Tory Dickson sidelined with a hamstring injury.
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The Crows have made three changes, omitting Hartigan, small forward Lachlan Murphy and ruckman Reilly O'Brien.
Defender Alex Keath returns for his first game in a month from an ankle injury after proving his fitness in the SANFL last week, while midfielder Hugh Greenwood and forward Riley Knight – a late scratching last week with a hip injury – have been recalled.
The Bulldogs will secure a finals spot if they beat the Crows.
However, the Crows must win by about five goals to over-take the Bulldogs on percentage.
The Power must hope the Crows beat the Bulldogs and then win by a bigger margin to move into eighth.
Powell-Pepper, ruckman Peter Ladhams and forward Zak Butters have all been dropped for their clash with Fremantle at Adelaide Oval, while defender Tom Clurey is out with a foot injury.
Ruckman Scott Lycett returns along with Willem Drew, Trent McKenzie and Xavier Duursma.
Debutant Hugh Dixon, Scott Jones, Ryan Nyhuis and Bailey Banfield are the four inclusions for the Dockers, replacing Lachie Schultz, ruckman Sean Darcy and veterans Hayden Ballantyne and Aaron Sandilands, who were farwelled in last week's loss to Essendon.
It's the Dockers first game under interim coach David Hale after Ross Lyon was sacked earlier this week.
Friday, August 23
Collingwood v Essendon at the MCG, 7.50pm AEST
COLLINGWOOD
In: D.Moore
Out: S.Sidebottom (ruptured testicle)
ESSENDON
In: C.Hooker, J.Begley, T.Jok, J.Laverde, T.Bellchambers, D.Clarke
Out: B.Zerk-Thatcher, D.Zaharakis (ankle), D.Heppell (foot), J.Stringer soreness), Z.Clarke (bone stress), O.Fantasia (hip)
New: Tom Jok (Collingwood VFL)
Saturday, August 24
Sydney v St Kilda at the SCG, 1.45pm AEST
SYDNEY
In: J.McVeigh, L.Franklin
Out: J.Bell, R.Clarke
ST KILDA
In: S.Rowe
Out: B.Paton
New: Sam Rowe (Carlton)
North Melbourne v Melbourne at Blundstone Arena, 2.10pm AEST
NORTH MELBOURNE
In: M.Wood
Out: J.Anderson (hamstring)
MELBOURNE
In: J.Hunt, B.Preuss
Out: K.Chandler (finger), K.Dunkley
Geelong v Carlton at GMHBA Stadium, 4.35pm AEST
GEELONG
In: G.Rohan, R.Stanley
Out: J.Kolodjashnij (injured), T.Atkins (hand)
CARLTON
In: J.Weitering, D.Cuningham
Out: D.Lang (ankle), M.Gibbons (shoulder)
Gold Coast v Greater Western Sydney at Metricon Stadium, 7.25pm AEST
GOLD COAST
In: A.Young
Out: G.Horlin-Smith
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
In: S.Mumford, J.Finlayson, J.Cameron, D.Lloyd, S.Taylor, I.Cumming
Out: T.Greene (calf), N.Haynes (throat), D.Simpson (general soreness), Z.Sproule, J.Caldwell, J.Stein
West Coast v Hawthorn at Optus Stadium, 6.10pm AWST
WEST COAST
In: C.Masten, L.Duggan
Out: M.Hutchings (hamstring), J.Rotham
HAWTHORN
In: J.Scrimshaw, D.Howe
Out: C.Jiath, J.Roughead (retired)
Sunday, August 25
Western Bulldogs v Adelaide at Mars Stadium, 1.10pm AEST
WESTERN BULLDOGS
In: T.English, R.West
Out: T.Dickson (hamstring), J.Trengove
ADELAIDE
In: H.Greenwood, R.Knight, A.Keath,
Out: R.O'Brien, L.Murphy, K.Hartigan
Richmond v Brisbane at the MCG, 3.20pm AEST
RICHMOND
In: T.Cotchin, N.Balta
Out: J.Ross, M.Chol
BRISBANE
In: C.Cox
Out: A.Christensen (hamstring)
Port Adelaide v Fremantle at Adelaide Oval, 4.10pm ACST
PORT ADELAIDE
In: X.Duursma, S.Lycett, T.McKenzie, W.Drew
Out: S.Powell-Pepper, P.Ladhams, Z.Butters, T.Clurey (illness)
FREMANTLE
In: H.Dixon, S.Jones, R.Nyhuis, B.Banfield
Out: L.Schultz, S.Darcy (injured), H.Ballantyne (Rested), A.Sandilands (Rested)
New: Hugh Dixon (Kingsborough Tigers)
