SYDNEY has been decimated by injury for its Friday night match against Richmond at Adelaide Oval, with Dane Rampe added to an already long list.
Rampe (neck soreness) joins Tom and Paddy McCartin (both concussion) and star forward Lance Franklin (knee) as missing from the side to face the Tigers.
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It means there are six tall defensive options missing from Sydney's 22, with former Bomber Aaron Francis injured at training last week and Sam Reid on the long-term injury list. Will Gould, who also picked up a minor injury last week, has been named as an emergency. Midfielder Ryan Clarke is also an emergency having overcome a recent hamstring injury.
The star Swans are not the only big changes ahead of the remainder of Gather Round, with Port Adelaide captain Tom Jonas (knee) to miss the match the Western Bulldogs due to injury, while the Dogs will be without wingman Bailey Smith (calf).
While the Swans will be missing some tall timber at both ends of the ground, the Tigers have recalled some height by confirming Jack Riewoldt and Ben Miller will both return as Tom Lynch and Toby Nankervis will miss.
In Friday's other game at Norwood Oval, Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew and his Fremantle counterpart Justin Longmuir have both swung the axe, dropping three players each.
The Suns are also resting Levi Casboult.
Dew has recalled Mabior Chol after three games in the VFL, while Brandon Ellis and Sean Lemmens will play their first games of the year after recovering from injury.
Sam Sturt and Michael Frederick are back for the Dockers, who have omitted Liam Henry and Nathan Wilson.
In Saturday's first game at Mount Barker, Brisbane has made two changes to face North Melbourne with Daniel Rich back from a quad niggle, along with ruckman Darcy Fort in at the expense of the rested Jack Gunston.
The Kangaroos have their own good news with Ben McKay selected to play his first game of the season and sure to stiffen the North backline after overcoming a foot injury he suffered late in the pre-season.
Alwyn Davey Jnr has been rested and won't line up for Essendon against Melbourne on Saturday, with Sam Weideman also missing through concussion, while the Demons are without Jake Lever (ankle) and have recalled Ben Brown and Adam Tomlinson.
The Bulldogs have recalled Cody Weightman for his first game of 2023 after overcoming an adductor problem.
In the extended squads for Sunday's games, Sam De Koning is back for Geelong to face West Coast, while the Eagles have rested veteran Shannon Hurn.
Greater Western Sydney have named No.1 draft pick Aaron Cadman on its eight-man bench, dropping Conor Stone, to face a Hawthorn outfit that will just be missing the suspended Will Day at this stage.
In the final, and possibly biggest, game of the round, Collingwood has named Jack Ginnivan in its 26-man squad, while St Kilda has made no changes at this stage, naming Tim Membrey on its eight-man bench, although the forward is expected to make his return through the VFL.
THURSDAY, APRIL 13
Adelaide v Carlton at Adelaide Oval, 7.10pm ACST
ADELAIDE
In: D.Fogarty, L.Pedlar
Out: N.McHenry (omitted), L.Gollant (omitted), H.Schoenberg (sub)
Last week's sub: Harry Schoenberg
CARLTON
In: S.Walsh, B.Acres, M.Kennedy
Out: L.O'Brien (omitted), J.Honey (omitted), S.Docherty (knee), J.Carroll (sub)
Last week's sub: Jack Carroll
FRIDAY, APRIL 14
Gold Coast v Fremantle at Norwood Oval, 4.40pm ACST
GOLD COAST
In: B.Ellis, M.Chol, B.Fiorini, S.Lemmens
Out: E.Hollands (omitted), J.Jeffrey (omitted), H.Oea (omitted), L.Casboult (managed), A.Sexton (sub)
Last week's sub: Alex Sexton
FREMANTLE
In: C.Wagner, S.Sturt, M.Frederick
Out: L.Henry (omitted), N.Wilson (omitted), N.O'Driscoll (omitted), M.Taberner (back)
Last week's sub: Matthew Johnson
Sydney v Richmond at Adelaide Oval, 7.40pm ACST
SYDNEY
In: H.McLean, C.Warner, M.Roberts
Out: D.Rampe (neck), T.McCartin (concussion), L.Franklin (knee), P.McCartin (concussion)
Last week's sub: Robbie Fox
RICHMOND
In: J.Riewoldt, B.Miller
Out: J.Graham (hamstring), T.Lynch (foot), T.Nankervis (ankle)
Last week's sub: Trent Cotchin
SATURDAY, APRIL 15
North Melbourne v Brisbane at Adelaide Hills, 12.40pm ACST
NORTH MELBOURNE
In: G.Logue, B.McKay
Out: A.Bonar (omitted), P.Curtis (omitted), H.Greenwood (sub)
Last week's sub: Hugh Greenwood
BRISBANE
In: D.Rich, D.Fort
Out: J.Gunston (managed), J.Prior (omitted), D.Robertson (sub)
Last week's sub: Deven Robertson
Melbourne v Essendon at Adelaide Oval, 3.40pm ACST
MELBOURNE
In: A.Tomlinson, B.Brown
Out: M.Hibberd (managed), J.Lever (injured), J.Jordon (sub)
Last week's sub: James Jordon
ESSENDON
In: W.Snelling
Out: S.Weideman (concussion), A.Davey Jnr (managed)
Last week's sub: Dyson Heppell
Port Adelaide v Western Bulldogs at Adelaide Oval, 7.20pm ACST
PORT ADELAIDE
In: R.Burton
Out: T.Jonas (injured), J.Mead (omitted)
Last week's sub: Darcy Byrne-Jones
WESTERN BULLDOGS
In: T.O'Brien, T.Duryea, C.Weightman
Out: R.McComb (omitted), A.Keath (concussion), B.Smith (calf), H.Crozier (back)
Last week's sub: Mitch Hannan
SUNDAY, APRIL 16
West Coast v Geelong at Adelaide Oval, 12.40pm ACST
WEST COAST
In: A.Witherden, J.Petruccelle, X.O'Neill, Z.Trew, L.Foley, H.Edwards
Out: S.Hurn (managed), E.Hewett (omitted), T.Cole (ankle)
Last week's sub: Josh Rotham
GEELONG
In: S.De Koning, S.Simpson, T.Bruhn, M.Knevitt, B.Parfitt
Out: J.Bews (concussion), G.Rohan (suspension)
Last week's sub: Ollie Henry
Greater Western Sydney v Hawthorn at Norwood Oval, 2.50pm ACST
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
In: J.Peatling, K.Briggs, R.Angwin, A.Cadman, X.O'Halloran
Out: C.Stone (omitted), B.Daniels (managed)
Last week's sub: Cooper Hamilton
HAWTHORN
In: S.Mitchell, L.Bramble, N.Long, M.Lynch
Out: W.Day (suspension)
Last week's sub: Chad Wingard
St Kilda v Collingwood at Adelaide Oval, 4.20pm ACST
ST KILDA
In: T.Membrey, T.Campbell, C.Sharman
Out: Nil
Last week's sub: Jack Bytel
COLLINGWOOD
In: T.Bianco, T.Wilson, T.Ruscoe, J.Ginnivan
Out: R.McInnes (omitted)
Last week's sub: Oleg Markov
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