Essendon star rookie Joe Daniher returns for his third game of the season against the Hawks on Friday night. The youngster played his first game earlier in the season after a highly anticipated debut. The Hawks welcome the return of superstars Lance Franklin and Sam Mitchell. Franklin has missed the last two matches with a swollen knee.
On Saturday, Magpie Harry O’Brien will head the ins list for Collingwood. He returns against the Giants after spending the last three weeks on the sidelines due to injury and personal issues.
For the Cats, Steve Johnson is back from suspension to clash with St Kilda on Saturday. However, Geelong will no doubt feel the loss of Jimmy Bartel after he received a one match ban for his high bump on Crow Rory Laird last weekend.
West Coast has lost a number of big stars ahead of their battle with the Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon. Among them, Mark LeCras is out with a foot injury, Nic Naitanui and Darren Glass are both experiencing soreness, while Luke Shuey is recovering from a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, Captain Matthew Boyd is back for the Western Bulldog’s side after three weeks absence due to a fractured cheekbone.
ESSENDON V HAWTHORN
Friday 26th July, 7:50pm, Etihad Stadium
Essendon
B: Baguley, Carlisle, Hibberd
HB: Stanton, Hooker, Dempsey
C: Goddard, Heppell, Hocking
HF: Kommer, Daniher, Melksham
F: Dell’Olio, Hurley, Ryder
Foll: Bellchambers, Myers, Zaharakis
I/C: Pears, Colyer, Jetta, Howlett
Emg: O’Brien, Gumbleton, Davey
In: Hocking, Howlett, Zaharakis, Pears, Daniher
Out: Lovett-Murray, O’Brien, Crameri (ankle), Merrett, Fletcher (back)
Hawthorn
B: Stratton, Lake, Guerra
HB: Mitchell, Gibson, Whitecross
C: Smith, Hodge, Hill
HF: Gunston, Roughead, Breust
F: Franklin, Hale, Rioli
Foll: Bailey, Lewis, Puopolo
I/C: Sewell, Simpkin, Duryea, Savage
Emg: Cheney, Ceglar, Langford
In: Franklin, Mitchell
Out: Cheney, Langford
GOLD COAST V CARLTON
Saturday 27th July, 1:45pm, Metricon Stadium
Gold Coast
B: McKenzie, Thompson, Tape
HB: Russell, May, Broughton
C: Harbrow, Ablett, Bennell
HF: Boston, Brennan, A. Hall
F: Day, Dixon, Brown
Foll: Nicholls, Stanley, O’Meara
I/C: Shaw, Sexton, Weller, Prestia
Emg: Gilbee, Sumner, J. Hall
In: Dixon
Out: J. Hall
Carlton
B: Robinson, Jamison, Henderson
HB: Tuohy, Watson, Gibbs
C: Yarran ,Judd, Simpson
HF: Curnow, Walker, Garlett
F: McLean, Rowe, Scotland
Foll: Kreuzer, Betts, Murphy
I/C: Carrazzo, Lucas, Bootsma, Armfield
Emg: Menzel, Cachia, Casboult
In: Robinson, Bootsma
Out: McInnes (groin), Cachia
MELBOURNE V NORTH MELBOURNE
Saturday 27th July, 2:10pm, Etihad Stadium
Melbourne
B: Dunn, Pedersen, Terlich
HB: McDonald, Frawley, Clisby
C: Viney, Trengove, Grimes
HF: Byrnes, Watts, Howe
F: Davey, Dawes, Fitzpatrick
Foll: Gawn, Sylvia, Jones
I/C: Toumpas, Blease, Jones, Kent
Emg: Nicholson, Tapscott, Spencer
In: Pedersen
Out: Garland (ankle)
North Melbourne
B: Hansen, Thompson, C. Delaney
HB: Mullett, Grima, Hine
C: Wells, Gibson, Atley
HF: Cunnington, Petrie, Harvey
F: Black, Tarrant, Thomas
Foll: Goldstein, Swallow, Ziebell
I/C: McKenzie, Bastinac, Adams, Macmillan
Emg: Jacobs, L. Delaney, Wright
In: C. Delaney
Out: McMahon
COLLINGWOOD v GWS GIANTS
Saturday 27th July, 4:40pm, MCG
Collingwood
B: Brown, Maxwell, Reid
HB: O’Brien, Shaw, Williams
C: Sidebottom, Macaffer, Ball
HF: Elliott, Grundy, Swan
F: Beams, Cloke, Thomas
Foll: Witts, Pendlebury, Blair
I/C: Goldsack, Keeffe, Sinclair, Dwyer
Emg: Martin, Kennedy, Mooney
In: Brown, O’Brien, Grundy, Blair
Out: Krakouer, Hudson (calf), Mooney, Seedsman (calf)
GWS Giants
B: Bruce, Mohr, Hampton
HB: Haynes, Davis, Ward
C: Scully, Bugg, Hoskin-Elliott
HF: Cameron, Tomlinson, Whiley
F: Smith, Brogan, Williams
Foll: Giles, Treloar, Shiel
I/C: Adams, Greene, Darley, Kennedy
Emg: Gilham, Whitfield, Sumner
In: Scully, Kennedy
Out: Whitfield, Ugle
GEELONG v ST KILDA
Saturday 27th July, 7:40pm, Simonds Stadium
Geelong
B: Guthrie, Lonergan, Enright
HB: Brown, Taylor, Corey
C: Mackie, Selwood, Duncan
HF: Stokes, Podsiadly, Smedts
F: Motlop, Hawkins, Varcoe
Foll: Simpson, Kelly, Johnson
I/C: Caddy, Horlin-Smith, Hunt, Vardy
Emg: West, Murdoch, Schroder
In: Johnson, T.Hunt, Vardy, Brown, Horlin-Smith
Out: J.Hunt (shin), Bartel (suspension), Stringer (knee), Murdoch, Blicavs (rested)
St Kilda
B: Simpkin, Gwilt, Dempster
HB: Geary, Roberton, Newnes
C: Ray, Hayes, Jones
HF: Dal Santo, Riewoldt, Montagna
F: Milne, Lee, Saunders
Foll: McEvoy, Armitage, Steven
I/C: Hickey, Siposs, Webster, Curren
Emg: Ross, Stanley, Dunnell
In: Geary, Siposs
Out: Dennis-Lane, Stanley
FREMANTLE v ADELAIDE
Saturday 27th July, 7:40pm, Patersons Stadium
Fremantle
B: Spurr, Dawson, Duffield
HB: Suban, Johnson, Ibbotson
C: Hill, Barlow, Fyfe
HF: De Boer, Mayne, Mzungu
F: Walters, Clarke, C.Pearce
Foll: Sandilands, Mundy, Crowley
I/C: Neale, D.PEarce, Taberner, Sutcliffe
Emg: Hannath, Silvagni, Sheridan
In: Sandilands, Suban, Taberner
Out: Silvagni, Hannath, Sheridan
Adelaide
B: Henderson, Hartigan, Brown
HB: Laird, Talia, Smith
C: Mackay, Thompson, Sloane
HF: Vince, Jenkins, Crouch
F: Wright, Lynch, Porplyzia
Foll: Jacobs, van Berlo, Douglas
I/C: Tambling, Otten, Lyons, McKernan
Emg: Grigg, Johnston, Kerridge
In: Hartigan, McKernan
Out: Rutten (shoulder), Grigg
PORT ADELAIDE v BRISBANE
Sunday 28th July, 1:10pm, AAMI Stadium
Port Adelaide
B: O’Shea, Carlile, Stewart
HB: Broadbent, Trengove, Colquhoun
C: Wingard, Boak, Pittard
HF: Gray, Butcher, Monfries
F: Westhoff, Schulz, Hartlett
Foll: Lobbe, Brad Ebert, Cornes
I/C: Wines, Thomas, Cassisi, Moore, Hombsch, Blee, Mitchell
In: Blee, Cassisi, Cornes, Hombsch, Thomas
Out: Jonas (suspension), Neade (rested)
Brisbane
B: Adcock, Maguire, Patfull
HB: Staker, Clarke, Docherty
C: Raines, Rockliff, Mayes
HF: Zorko, Brown, Bewick
F: Green, Merrett, McGrath
Foll: Leuenberger, Redden, Rich
I/C: Lester, Lisle, Moloney, Golby, Harwood, Crisp, Yeo
In: Moloney, Golby, Brown, Crisp
Out: Hanley (hand)
WESTERN BULLDOGS v WEST COAST
Sunday 28th July, 3:20pm, Etihad Stadium
Western Bulldogs
B: Picken, Roughead, Tutt
HB: Morris, Talia, Cooney
C: Boyd, Liberatore, Murphy
HF: Giansiracusa, Jones, Stevens
F: Dahlhaus, Grant, Dickson
Foll: Minson, Griffen, Wallis
I/C: Addison, Young, Stringer, Hunter, Macrae, Howard, Austin
In: Young, Stringer, Boyd, Howard, Austin
Out: Goodes (arm), Hrovat (soreness)
West Coast
B: Schofield, Brown, Butler
HB: Carter, Mackenzie, Smith
C: Gaff, Priddis, Dalziell
HF: Cripps, Kennedy, Hill
F: Hams, Lycett, Darling
Foll: Cox, S. Selwood, Masten
I/C: Wilson, Wellingham, Morton, Hutchings, Sheppard, McInnes, Rosa
In: Wilson, Hams, Sheppard, Butler, Lycett, McInnes, S. Selwood, Rosa
Out: LeCras (foot), Naitanui (soreness), Glass (soreness), Shuey (hamstring), A. Selwood
SYDNEY V RICHMOND
Sunday 28th July, 4:40pm, SCG
Sydney
B: Rampe, Grundy, Smith
HB: Malceski, T. Richards, Everitt
C: McVeigh, O’Keefe, K. Jack
HF: Bird, White, Bolton
F: Parker, Tippett, Pyke
Foll: Mumford, Kennedy, Hannebery
I/C: Biggs, Cunningham, B. Jack, Lamb, Mitchell, Morton, Richards
In: Morton, X. Richards, Biggs
Out: –
Richmond
B: Morris, Rance, Petterd
HB: Newman, Chaplin, Vlastuin
C: Grigg, Cotchin, Jackson
HF: White, S. Edwards, Ellis
F: Vickery, Riewoldt, Martin
Foll: Maric, Deledio, Foley
I/C: Houli, Conca, Arnot, Astbury, Tuck, Lonergan, McGuane
In: Astbury, Tuck, Lonergan, McGuane
Out: King (hamstring)
