MELBOURNE has been dealt a double blow ahead of its Sunday night match against Richmond at the MCG with Jack Viney and Jake Lever both ruled out.

On a huge Thursday night of team selections Brownlow medallist Ollie Wines returns from his heart problem, as does Patrick Cripps, Lance Franklin, Jake Stringer and Zac Merrett from injury, while the Bulldogs will be without Tim English.

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But it's the premiers who have been dealt the surprise double blow, with Viney and Lever both set to miss through the League's health and safety protocols.

The Demons have a big inclusion though, with full-forward Ben Brown named to play his first senior game since round two, while former Saint Luke Dunstan has been named on the extended bench.

Richmond will make at least four changes, with Marlion Pickett and Hugo Ralphsmith both injured, while top-10 draft pick Josh Gibcus returns.

Port coach Ken Hinkley has axed three players from the team that lost narrowly to Carlton last Sunday as he hopes to snap the club's 0-5 season start against West Coast on Saturday.

Karl Amon, who has not missed a game since 2019, is among the trio.

Port does regain Wines after he missed against the Blues with a heart problem.

In the earliest game on Saturday, the Western Bulldogs have lost in-form ruckman English to injury, replaced by veteran Stefan Martin, while mature recruit Robbie McComb will make a long-awaited debut.

Carlton has recalled Cripps for its match against Fremantle on Saturday night after the skipper missed just one game with a hamstring problem sustained against Gold Coast in round four.

Franklin is back earlier than expected following surgery to a broken finger and has been named to play former club Hawthorn on Monday.

Chad Wingard (calf) and Will Day (concussion) are both back for the Hawks.

Like Franklin, Essendon ball magnet Merrett was expected to miss longer after suffering an ankle injury in round two, but has been selected to face Collingwood.

The Pies have dropped Mason Cox and recalled Brody Mihocek among their changes.

Geelong has named defender Jack Henry in its extended squad to face North Melbourne on Sunday, while the Roos have confirmed the return of young gun Tarryn Thomas, but lost Jaidyn Stephenson to illness.

Mitch Robinson will miss Sunday's QClash against Gold Coast with a calf injury.

Friday, April 22

Greater Western Sydney v St Kilda at Manuka Oval, 7.50pm AEST

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

In: T.Greene, B.Preuss, I.Cumming
Out: M.de Boer (omitted), X.O'Halloran (omitted), J.Hogan (managed), J.Riccardi (Medi-Sub)

Last week's sub: J. Riccardi (unused)

ST KILDA

In: J.Webster
Out: J.Lienert (omitted), R.Byrnes (omitted)

Last week's sub: R. Byrnes (unused)

Saturday, April 23

Western Bulldogs v Adelaide at Mars Stadium, 1.45pm AEST

WESTERN BULLDOGS

In: S.Martin, R.McComb, J.Schache
Out: R.Garcia (knee), T.English (hamstring), L.Hunter (Personal Reason), M.Wallis (Personal Reason)

New: Robbie McComb

Last week's sub: M. Wallis (replaced R. Garcia)

ADELAIDE

In: J.Hately
Out: R.Sloane (knee), J.Rowe (Medi-Sub)

Last week's sub: J. Rowe (replaced R.Sloane)

Port Adelaide v West Coast at Adelaide Oval, 4.05pm ACST

PORT ADELAIDE

In: O.Wines, K.Farrell
Out: J.Mead (omitted), K.Amon (omitted), J.McEntee (omitted)

Last week's sub: J. McEntee (unused)

WEST COAST

In: X.O'Neill, C.West, L.Strnadica
Out: J.Rotham (omitted), Z.Langdon (omitted), J.Jones (omitted), H.Dixon (calf)

New: Luke Strnadica

Last week's sub: J. Waterman (unused)

Fremantle v Carlton at Optus Stadium, 5.40pm AWST

FREMANTLE

In: G.Logue, L.Schultz
Out: H.Young (HS Protocol), H.Chapman (HS Protocol), B.Banfield (omitted)

Last week's sub: D. Tucker (unused)

CARLTON

In: P.Cripps
Out: M.Kennedy (soreness), P.Dow (Medi-Sub)

Last week's sub: P. Dow (unused)

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Sunday, April 24

North Melbourne v Geelong at Blundstone Arena, 1.10pm AEST

NORTH MELBOURNE

In: T.Thomas, P.Curtis, C.Zurhaar, A.Bonar, C.Coleman-Jones, M.Bergman
Out: A.Hall (hamstring), J.Stephenson (illness), T.Powell (omitted)

New: Paul Curtis, Miller Bergman

Last week's sub: T. Powell (replaced A. Hall)

GEELONG

In: S.Higgins, E.Ratugolea, O.Dempsey
Out: Nil

Last week's sub: J. Kolodjashnij (replaced J. Henry)

Gold Coast v Brisbane at Metricon Stadium, 4.10pm AEST

GOLD COAST

In: C.Budarick, C.Burgess, J.Sharp
Out: Nil

Last week's sub: R. Atkins (replaced M. Chol)

BRISBANE

In: T.Berry, J.Prior, K.Coleman, J.Payne
Out: M.Robinson (calf)

Last week's sub: N. Cockatoo (unused)

Richmond v Melbourne at the MCG, 7.25pm AEST

RICHMOND

In: J.Gibcus, K.McIntosh, R.Mansell, S.Banks, R.Collier-Dawkins, T.Sonsie, M.Rioli
Out: B.Miller (omitted), J.Aarts (omitted), M.Pickett (injured), H.Ralphsmith (ribs)

New: Sam Banks, Tyler Sonsie

Last week's sub: J. Aarts (replaced H. Ralphsmith)

MELBOURNE

In: J.Smith, B.Brown, A.Tomlinson, J.Melksham, L.Dunstan
Out: J.Lever (HS Protocol), J.Viney (HS Protocol)

New: Luke Dunstan

Last week's sub: T. Bedford (unused)

Monday, April 25

Hawthorn v Sydney at UTAS Stadium, 12.30pm AEST

HAWTHORN

In: W.Day, M.Lynch, C.Wingard, J.Callow, N.Long
Out: M.Lewis (hamstring), N.Reeves (shoulder)

New: Jackson Callow, Ned Long

Last week's sub: J. Worpel (replaced N. Reeves)

SYDNEY

In: L.Franklin, S.Wicks, D.Stephens
Out: Nil

Last week's sub: J. Kennedy (unused)

Essendon v Collingwood at the MCG, 3.20pm AEST

ESSENDON

In: J.Stringer, Z.Merrett, N.Bryan, K.Baldwin
Out: A.Phillips (hamstring)

Last week's sub: T. Cutler (replaced A. Phillips)

COLLINGWOOD

In: B.Mihocek, T.Brown, B.McCreery, C.Poulter, J.Ginnivan
Out: J.Roughead (finger), M.Cox (omitted)

Last week's sub: J. Noble (replaced D. Cameron)