GREATER Western Sydney midfield star Josh Kelly's injury absence this weekend has soured the return of Toby Greene and Ryan Griffen.
The news comes as several big names prepare for their first match this year, including West Coast's dual Coleman medallist Josh Kennedy, Tiger Dion Prestia and Collingwood's Jordan De Goey.
Kelly (groin) will miss the Giants' round four clash with Fremantle in Canberra on Saturday, along with ruckman Rory Lobb (knee) and omitted defender Harry Perryman.
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Greene, who missed two matches with a hamstring issue, helps offset that, while Griffen will make his season debut and journeyman Dawson Simpson will take over the ruck duties.
Fremantle are unchanged as they seek a third win on the trot.
Adelaide has brought back exciting key forward Darcy Fogarty at injured rookie Lachlan Murphy's expense as the Crows prepare to welcome Collingwood to town on Friday night.
Magpie Jordan De Goey will play his first match for the year after a hamstring setback and club suspension for drink-driving.
De Goey comes in for Taylor Adams, who hurt his hamstring at training during the week.
Richmond has flexed its muscles after Sunday's impressive victory over Hawthorn, adding premiership duo Josh Caddy (suspension) and Dion Prestia (glute) to face Brisbane on Saturday at the MCG.
The Tigers omitted Sam Lloyd and Jack Higgins, after his two-goal debut.
The Lions also have a pair of inclusions, with captain Dayne Beams back from illness and last year's No.15 draft pick Zac Bailey, a midfield dasher from Darwin, set to make his senior debut.
Cedric Cox and Ryan Lester make way for the pair.
Sydney made three forced changes for its Etihad Stadium showdown with the Western Bulldogs.
Swans forward Sam Reid is likely to be out for at least eight weeks with a quad injury, while Lewis Melican (hamstring) and Gary Rohan (personal reasons) are also out.
Forgotten defender Aliir Aliir is in for his first AFL match since round four last year, joining Zak Jones and Nic Newman as the trio's replacements.
The Bulldogs recalled Shane Biggs to replace the suspended Zaine Cordy.
Carlton swung the axe as it searches for a winning formula, dropping Jed Lamb and Cameron Polson for its must-win match with North Melbourne at Hobart's Blundstone Arena.
Defender Caleb Marchbank (ankle) is the third out, with the Blues confirming during the week that he will miss the next month.
Cam O'Shea is Marchbank's natural substitute down back, while Jack Silvagni has received a reprieve and top-10 selection Lochie O'Brien will make his debut.
As expected, Robbie Tarrant (hamstring) comes in for the Roos, who lost Nathan Hrovat after he sustained a fractured thumb at training on Wednesday.
Kennedy's return highlights West Coast's selection moves, but Liam Duggan is also back for the Eagles' Optus Stadium encounter with Gold Coast.
Mark Hutchings (omitted) and Liam Ryan (ankle) make way for West Coast.
Jack Bowes returns from suspension for the Suns, who have lost Pearce Hanley (shoulder) potentially for an extended period.
Sam Powell-Pepper is the sole confirmed change for unbeaten ladder-leader Port Adelaide as the fallout from his alcohol-fuelled night out last weekend begins.
The Power's leadership group slapped the second-year midfield brute with a one-match ban, with a League investigation continuing into an alleged incident on the same night.
Karl Amon, Joe Atley, Jarrod Lienert, Trent McKenzie and Jake Neade are the potential additions.
Port Adelaide plays at Etihad Stadium on Sunday against Essendon, which lost Irishman Conor McKenna to suspension after his controversial biting incident.
Matt Guelfi, Michael Hartley, Kyle Langford, Shaun McKernan and Jackson Merrett could come in for the Bombers.
Kaiden Brand and Will Langford paid the price for Hawthorn's defeat to Richmond and won't play against Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday.
James Sicily returns from suspension and Conor Glass, James Cousins, Brendan Whitecross and untried pair David Mirra and Mitchell Lewis are other options.
The Demons will be without midfielder Dom Tyson (illness), with Jayden Hunt, Angus Brayshaw – still yet to play this year – Billy Stretch, Mitch Hannan and Sam Weideman jockeying for a spot.
St Kilda is expected to make at least three changes for its game against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium, with two of them already locked in.
AFL.com.au reported earlier on Thursday that Jimmy Webster (hip) would miss the game and that Josh Bruce has been dropped.
The Saints have not confirmed the Bruce news yet, but Webster is out and Nathan Wright was dropped.
Sam Gilbert, Jack Lonie, ex-Power recruit Logan Austin, Jack Steele, Hunter Clark and Tom Hickey are in line for a recall.
The Cats were always going to be busy after losing Gary Ablett (hamstring), Cam Guthrie (ankle) and Nakia Cockatoo (knee) in a costly trip west on Sunday.
Star onballer Mitch Duncan is among the potential replacements, including Rhys Stanley, Charlie Constable, Jordan Cunico, Jordan Murdoch, Zac Smith and Jackson Thurlow.
Friday, April 13
Adelaide v Collingwood at Adelaide Oval, 7.20pm ACST
ADELAIDE
In: D.Fogarty
Out: L.Murphy (hamstring)
COLLINGWOOD
In: J.De Goey
Out: T.Adams (hamstring)
Saturday, April 14
Greater Western Sydney v Fremantle at UNSW Stadium (Canberra), 1.45pm AEST
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
In: T.Greene, D.Simpson, R.Griffen
Out: R.Lobb (knee), J.Kelly (groin), H.Perryman
FREMANTLE
No changes
Richmond v Brisbane at the MCG, 2.10pm AEST
RICHMOND
In: J.Caddy, D.Prestia
Out: S.Lloyd, J.Higgins
BRISBANE
In: D.Beams, Z.Bailey
Out: C.Cox, R.Lester
New: Zac Bailey (Norwood)
Western Bulldogs v Sydney at Etihad Stadium, 4.35pm AEST
WESTERN BULLDOGS
In: S.Biggs
Out: Z.Cordy (suspension)
SYDNEY
In: A.Aliir, Z.Jones, N.Newman
Out: S.Reid (quad), L.Melican (hamstring), G.Rohan (personal)
North Melbourne v Carlton at Blundstone Arena (Hobart), 7.25pm AEST
NORTH MELBOURNE
In: R.Tarrant
Out: N.Hrovat (thumb)
CARLTON
In: C.O'Shea, J.Silvagni, L.O'Brien
Out: C.Marchbank (ankle), C.Polson, J.Lamb
New: Lochie O'Brien (Bendigo U18)
West Coast v Gold Coast at Optus Stadium, 6.10pm AWST
WEST COAST
In: J.Kennedy, L.Duggan
Out: M.Hutchings, L.Ryan (ankle)
GOLD COAST
In: J.Bowes
Out: P.Hanley (shoulder)
Sunday, April 15
Essendon v Port Adelaide at Etihad Stadium, 1.10pm AEST
ESSENDON
In: M.Guelfi, M.Hartley, K.Langford, S.McKernan, J.Merrett
Out: C.McKenna (suspension)
New: Matt Guelfi (Claremont)
PORT ADELAIDE
In: K.Amon, J.Atley, J.Lienert, T.McKenzie, J.Neade
Out: S.Powell-Pepper (club suspension)
New: Jarrod Lienert (Sturt), Trent McKenzie (Gold Coast)
Hawthorn v Melbourne at the MCG, 3.20pm AEST
HAWTHORN
In: C.Glass, J.Sicily, J.Cousins, B.Whitecross, D.Mirra, M.Lewis
Out: K.Brand, W.Langford
New: David Mirra (Box Hill), Mitchell Lewis (Calder U18)
MELBOURNE
In: A.Brayshaw, B.Stretch, M.Hannan, J.Hunt, S.Weideman
Out: D.Tyson (illness)
Geelong v St Kilda at GMHBA Stadium, 4.40pm AEST
GEELONG
In: R.Stanley, C.Constable, J.Cunico, M.Duncan, J.Murdoch, Z.Smith, J.Thurlow
Out: N.Cockatoo (knee), C.Guthrie (ankle), G.Ablett (hamstring)
New: Charlie Constable (Sandringham U18)
ST KILDA
In: S.Gilbert, J.Lonie, L.Austin, J.Steele, H.Clark, T.Hickey
Out: J.Webster (hip), N.Wright
New: Logan Austin (Port Adelaide)
