AFL teams: All the Round 21 ins and outs

An ageing Bombers forward has been overlooked again, while the Demons have recalled a veteran to cover for the suspended Jack Viney. Check out the full team line-ups for Round 21.

Essendon veteran Cale Hooker has been overlooked for a second straight week as the Bombers prepare for a crunch clash with the Western Bulldogs on Sunday to keep their finals hopes alive.

Hooker had been named in Essendon’s extended squad on Thursday night, but failed to make the final cut of 22.

The forward, who turns 33 in October, has instead been named as one of four emergencies, from which the Bombers’ medical substitute will be selected.

Hooker, who is out of contract at the end of the season, had played every game this year before being dropped for last week’s Round 20 match against Sydney.

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He kicked 29 goals from his first 12 games in a strong first half of the season but has managed just four majors across his past six matches since.

Matt Guelfi, Martin Gleeson and Alec Waterman were all recalled to the Essendon side.

Defender Taylor Duryea is one of three inclusions for the Bulldogs, alongside Adam Treloar and Ed Richards.

Cale Hooker has been overlooked. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

Ruckman Jon Ceglar returns for Hawthorn in its clash with Collingwood on Sunday, one of four changes for the Hawks.

First-year forward Beau McCreery returns from a hamstring injury for Collingwood, replacing Trent Bianco (omitted) as the club’s only change.

Josh Daicos has been named as one of four emergencies for the Magpies after overcoming a finger injury.

Out-of-contract forward Mason Cox, who has played just one of the past four games, is also on the emergencies list.

Melksham recalled for suspended Viney

Melbourne forward Jake Melksham has been recalled for his first AFL game since Round 12 as the Demons seek to reclaim a top-two spot when they meet West Coast on Monday night.

The Demons have made just one change for the match, with Melksham replacing Jack Viney (suspended).

James Jordan, who was the medical substitute last week, is one of four emergencies alongside Michael Hibberd, Aaron vandenBerg and Sam Weideman.

Melksham has logged just 10 AFL games this season, two of which he has been a non-playing medical substitute for.

The 29-year-old had played every game for the Demons last year.

The Eagles have welcomed back Nathan Vardy, Alex Witherden and Jackson Nelson for the match.

Josh Rotham, Zac Langdon, Jake Waterman and Xavier O’Neill have all been omitted from the West Coast side which suffered a 45-point loss to Collingwood last week.

ROUND 21 TEAMS

GEELONG v GWS GIANTS

Friday August 6, 7.50pm at GMHBA Stadium

CATS

B: Henry, Blicavs, Kreuger

HB: Stewart, Z.Guthrie, Kolodjashnij

C: Holmes, C.Guthrie, Tuohy

HF: Dahlhaus, Ratugolea, Higgins

F: Dangerfield, Hawkins, Rohan

FOLL: Stanley, Selwood, Parfitt

I/C: Bews, Clark, Menegola, Close

EMG: Smith, Evans, Narkle, Constable

IN: Holmes

OUT: Smith (Managed), Narkle (Omitted)

GIANTS

B: Stein, Taylor, Cumming

HB: Perryman, Haynes, Ash

C: O’Halloran, de Boer, Whitfield

HF: Daniels, Himmelberg, Greene

F: Sproule, Riccardi, Taranto

FOLL: Briggs, Ward, Kelly

I/C: Bruhn, Brown, Peatling, Idun

EMG: Shipley, Wehr, Angwin, Buntine

IN: Stein, de Boer, Sproule, Riccardi, Briggs, Brown

OUT: Davis, Lloyd, Hopper, Green, Reid (all injured), Hogan, Mumford (both managed)

CARLTON v GOLD COAST

Saturday August 7, 1.45pm at Marvel Stadium

BLUES

B: Stocker, Weitering, Jones

HB: Newman, Plowman, Saad

C: E.Curnow, Cripps, Newnes

HF: Kennedy, C.Curnow, Silvagni

F: Betts, McKay, Martin

FOLL: De Koning, Walsh, Dow

I/C: Williamson, O’Brien, Honey, Fisher

EMG: Owies, McGovern, Casboult, Murphy

IN: Betts

OUT: Owies (omitted), Murphy (Medi-Sub)

SUNS

B: Powell, Collins, Lemmens

HB: Farrar, Ballard, Swallow

C: Ellis, Miller, Sharp

HF: Townsend, Jeffrey, Sexton

F: Burgess, King, Ainsworth

FOLL: Smith, Anderson, MacPherson

I/C: Corbett, Fiorini, Lukosius, Rowell

EMG: Bowes, Brodie, Davies, Flanders

IN: Ellis, Townsend

OUT: Flanders, Bowes, Brodie (all omitted)

RICHMOND v NORTH MELBOURNE

Saturday August 7, 4.35pm at MCG

TIGERS

B: Vlastuin, Grimes, Astbury

HB: Stack, Short, D.Rioli

C: Edwards, Cotchin, McIntosh

HF: Ralphsmith, Baker, Bolton

F: Lynch, Parker, Riewoldt

FOLL: Nankervis, Prestia, Graham

I/C: Mansell, Coleman-Jones, Lambert, M.Rioli

EMG: Dow, Garthwaite, Ross, Castagna

IN: Vlastuin, McIntosh, Ralphsmith, Coleman-Jones, M.Rioli

OUT: Garthwaite, Ross, Castagna, Chol, Aarts (all omitted), Caddy (Medi-Sub)

KANGAROOS

B: Tarrant, McKay, Bonar

HB: Ziebell, Walker, Hall

C: Dumont, Simpkin, McDonald

HF: Stephenson, Larkey, Scott

F: Anderson, Zurhaar, Mahony

FOLL: Goldstein, Davies-Uniacke, Thomas

I/C: Taylor, Turner, Ford, Campbell

EMG: Atley, Phillips, Comben, Spicer

IN: Bonar, Zurhaar, Thomas, Campbell

OUT: Bosenavulagi, Phillips (both omitted), Xerri (Injured), Polec (Managed), Atley (Medi-Sub)

ST KILDA v SYDNEY SWANS

Saturday August 7, 7.40pm at Marvel Stadium

SAINTS

B: Coffield, Wilkie, Connolly

HB: Sinclair, Webster, Hill

C: McKenzie, Dunstan, Ross

HF: Butler, Byrnes, Kent

F: King, Membrey, Sharman

FOLL: Marshall, Steele, Jones

I/C: Joyce, Highmore, Crouch, Higgins

EMG: Bytel, Allison, Lonie, Hunter

IN: Coffield, Sinclair, McKenzie, Joyce

OUT: Hunter, Long (both omitted), Clark, Howard, Billings (all injured)

SWANS

B: Cunningham, Rampe, Fox

HB: Dawson, McCartin, Lloyd

C: McInerney, Parker, Mills

HF: Papley, Heeney, Hayward

F: Wicks, Franklin, Reid

FOLL: Hickey, Hewett, Gulden

I/C: Blakey, Kennedy, Florent, Stephens

EMER: Rowbottom, McLean, Clarke, O’Riordan

OUT: Bell (Omitted)

ADELAIDE v PORT ADELAIDE

Saturday August 7, 7.40pm at Adelaide Oval

CROWS

B: Murray, Butts, Kelly

HB: McPherson, Doedee, Jones

C: Smith, Keays, Seedsman

HF: Mackay, Fogarty, Murphy

F: McHenry, Himmelberg, Walker, Thilthorpe

FOLL: O’Brien, Laird, Sloane

I/C: Cook, Lynch, Schoenberg, Hamill

EMG: Davis, Berry, McAdam, Frampton

IN: Thilthorpe, Cook

OUT: Walker, Berry, Rowe (all omitted)

POWER

B: Burton, McKenzie, Aliir

HB: Bergman, Jonas, Byrne-Jones

C: Duursma, Wines, Houston

HF: Amon, Georgiades, Butters

F: Gray, Dixon, Rozee

FOLL: Lycett, Boak, Drew

I/C: Powell-Pepper, Bonner, Ladhams, Fantasia

EMG: Marshall, Clurey, McEntee, Woodcock

IN: Gray

OUT: Marshall, Woodcock (both omitted)

HAWTHORN v COLLINGWOOD

Sunday August 8, 2.10pm at MCG

HAWKS

B: Burgoyne, Hartigan, Frost

HB: Howe, Scrimshaw, Hardwick

C: Bramble, O’Meara, Shiels

HF: Moore, Lewis, Phillips

F: Wingard, McEvoy, Hanrahan

FOLL: Ceglar, Mitchell, Worpel

I/C: Morrison, Koschitzke, Nash, O’Brien

EMG: Greaves, Brockman, Reeves, Morris

In: O.Hanrahan, J.Ceglar, H.Morrison, J.Koschitzke

Out: D.Greaves (omitted), L.Breust (knee), N.Reeves (managed), T.Brockman (managed), D.Grainger-Barras (managed)

MAGPIES

B: Quaynor, Roughead, Maynard

HB: Crisp, Madgen, Howe

C: Hoskin-Elliott, De Goey, Mayne

HF: Thomas, Cameron, Ginnivan

F: Henry, Mihocek, Elliott

FOLL: Grundy, Sidebottom, Adams

I/C: Macrae, McCreery, Noble, Ruscoe

EMG: Wilson, Daicos, Bianco, Cox

IN: McCreery

OUT: Bianco (omitted), Murphy (Medi-Sub)

WESTERN BULLDOGS v ESSENDON

Sunday August 8, 3.20pm at Marvel Stadium

BULLDOGS

B: Wood, Cordy, Williams

HB: Daniel, Schache, Dale

C: Treloar, Liberatore, La.Hunter

HF: Johannisen, Naughton, B.Smith

F: Ugle-Hagan, Bruce, Dunkley

FOLL: English, Macrae, Bontempelli

I/C: Richards, Duryea, Scott, Garcia

EMG: McNeil, Sweet, R.Smith, B.Khamis

IN: Treloar, Richards, Duryea

OUT: Hannan (Illness), Weightman (Managed), R.Smith (omitted), Lipinski (medi-sub)

BOMBERS

B: Laverde, Stewart, Francis

HB: Redman, Ridley, Hind

C: Cutler, Merrett, Cox

HF: Smith, Stringer, Clarke

F: McDonald-Tipungwuti, Wright, Durham

FOLL: Draper, Snelling, Parish

I/C: Waterman, Shiel, Gleeson, Guelfi

EMG: Ham, Hooker, Phillips, Perkins

IN: Gleeson, Guelfi, Phillips, Hooker, Waterman

OUT: Heppell, Langford (both injured), Perkins (omitted), Ham (medi-sub)

FREMANTLE v BRISBANE LIONS

Sunday August 8, 5.10pm at Optus Stadium

DOCKERS

B: Wilson, Logue, Ryan

HB: Young, Pearce, Aish

C: Tucker, Mundy, Cerra

HF: Colyer, Taberner, Henry

F: Schultz, Treacy, Crowden

FOLL: Darcy, Serong, Brayshaw

I/C: Meek, Walker, Western, Blakely

EMG: Watson, O’Discoll, Hughes, Bewley

IN: Pearce

OUT: Banfield (Injured), Watson

LIONS

B: Payne, Andrews, Lester

HB: Rich, Birchall, Satrcevich

C: McCluggage, Robinson, J.Berry

HF: Cameron, McStay, McCarthy

F: Cockatoo, Daniher, Bailey

FOLL: McInerney, Lyons, Zorko

I/C (extended): Robertson, Ah Chee, Berry, Coleman, Prior, Fullarton, Mathieson, Ballenden

IN: Mathieson, Prior

OUT: Madden (Omitted), Neale (Illness), Coleman (medi-sub)

WEST COAST v MELBOURNE

Monday August 9, 8.10pm at Optus Stadium

EAGLES

B: Cole, H.Edwards, Hurn

HB: Duggan, McGovern, Sheppard

C: Gaff, Kelly, Redden

HF: Langdon, Darling, Cripps

F: Petruccelle, Kennedy, Allen

FOLL: Naitanui, Yeo, Sheed

I/C (extended): Waterman, Edwards, Vardy, Witherden, Nelson, Hutchings, Rotham, West

IN: Edwards, Vardy, Witherden, Nelson

OUT: O’Neill (Omitted)

DEMONS

B: Bowey, May, Petty

HB: Hunt, Lever, Salem

C: Brayshaw, Petracca, Langdon

HF: Pickett, McDonald, Spargo

F: Neal-Bullen, Brown, Fritsch

FOLL: Gawn, Oliver, Harmes

I/C (extended): Jackson, Melksham, vandenBerg, Jordon, Rivers, Weideman, Sparrow, Smith

IN: Melksham, vandenBerg, Weideman, Smith

OUT: Viney (Suspension)

Bombers explain costly interchange fail

— Russell Gould

Ben Rutten has blamed a late injury and an avalanche of goals for an interchange blunder that saw the Bombers left without rotations for the last four minutes of their seven-point loss to Sydney.

Star forward Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, midfielder Dylan Shiel and young gun Archie Perkins were all stuck on the bench in the dying minutes of the MCG clash because Essendon had already used up its 75 rotations.

The narrow loss cost Essendon a chance to move into the eight. The Bombers now sit four points behind eighth-placed Fremantle and tackle the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium this Sunday.

Rutten revealed on Wednesday his coaching staff spent a “little bit more” time going over the scenario in the final minutes of the MCG clash.

Essendon hit its capacity of 75 rotations with nearly four minutes left in the game forcing McDonald-Tipungwuti, on-baller Dylan Shiel and Archie Perkins, with the injured Laverde, to watch on as their team went down.

Rutten said the 33 goals kicked between the two teams played a part, but ruled out the interchange issues as a reason his team lost.

“It’s a bit unlike us. We haven’t got that close to our rotation cap in a heap of games,” Rutten said.

“There’s a few reasons behind it. There was a lot of goals scored, which is generally a good opportunity for guys to come off the ground.

“We were in a position where we wanted to win, and part of that was ensuring we had the guys we wanted on the field. To be able to do that, we had to speed up our rotations.

“Then Jayden Laverde came off with a shoulder injury, that was unexpected, we had couple of other guys come off because they were just exhausted.

“As much as we try and have a system around our rotations, we also have a bit of flex in that for injuries and for us to get the players we want on the field. That was kind of what happened in the end. It wasn’t the reason we didn’t get the result we wanted.”

Jayden Laverde finished the match on the bench after a late injury.

Rutten said McDonald-Tipungwuti could have been a “good chance of kicking a goal” but saw other players able to score as well.

“We wanted to make sure we had (Kyle) Langford out on the ground and forward, he’d kicked three goals, he was another one we wanted to prioritise,” he said.

“They are all the little thing that go in to it. You can’t have everything.”

Laverde was cleared of any major structural damage to his shoulder, but is “a bit sore” and no guarantee to play the Bulldogs.

Captain Dyson Heppell (thumb) and Langford (hamstring) will need to be replaced and Rutten said the likes of Alex Waterman, Matt Guelfi and even veteran David Zaharakis could come in.

Rutten said the club was yet to decide on the future of 32-year-old Cale Hooker, who was dropped last week and is out of contract.

“We haven’t made a definitive decision on that, we have other guys out of contract we are working through,” he said.

“It’s not based on the last couple of weeks of footy. He’s got a body of work and has been a champion of our footy club.”

Injuries force Bulldog into retirement

Western Bulldogs midfielder Lin Jong has called time on a 10-year AFL career after battling a spate of injuries.

The 28-year-old finishes his career with 65 AFL games after being recruited with pick nine in the 2011 rookie draft.

But he managed just one AFL appearance in this season – in Round 6 against the GWS Giants, when he suffered a serious hamstring injury.

It continued a horror run in recent years and with no chance to return in 2021, Jong has announced his retirement.

“I’ve done everything I can to try to get back out there this year, but unfortunately time’s run out on me being able to do that and I’m comfortable that it’s the right time to hang up the boots,” Jong said.

“For the past 10 years, I’ve been fortunate to play football at the highest level for the Western Bulldogs.

“I’ve come a long way as a person and a footballer in that time and I’m really proud of everything I’ve achieved.

“There have been some injury setbacks, but I wouldn’t have my journey any other way.

“I’m grateful to everyone who has supported me across the years – all my teammates and coaches, the medical staff, trainers and our Bulldogs fans. And to my family and close friends who have been with me every step of the journey.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what the rest of the season holds for us and am excited about stepping into the next chapter of my life.”

Bulldog Lin Jong was cruelled by injuries. Picture: Mark Stewart

Jong was part of two VFL premierships with Footscray – in 2014 and 2016 – and won the Norm Goss Medal as best on ground in the 2016 decider.

He made his AFL debut in Round 20, 2012 and played a career-high 16 games in 2016.

Bulldogs head of football Chris Grant thanked Jong for his contribution over the past 10 years.

“Lin has made a significant contribution as a Western Bulldogs player. Over the past decade, he has become a much-loved, highly respected member of our playing group and he will leave a lasting legacy here,” Grant said.

“His football journey has been unique – and his pathway to becoming an AFL player was quite extraordinary in itself.

“As a player, Lin has been as tough and courageous as they come. He has unfortunately had more than his fair share of battles with injury over the journey, but he will leave the game having done everything he could on and off the field to get the very best out of himself.

“Lin will always be welcome at our club and we’re looking forward to seeing what the future has in store for him.”

Magpies defender calls time on career

Collingwood veteran Chris Mayne will hang up the boots at season’s end.

The Pies player informed teammates at training that he will retire after 14 years with both Collingwood and Fremantle.

“The time is right, personally and professionally,” Mayne said.

“From a family perspective, Britt and I have two young children and we want them to settle and share more time with our families in Perth. From a football perspective, I don’t feel that I can squeeze much more out of myself.”

Mayne was a key cog in Ross Lyon’s 2013 grand final side with the Dockers, establishing himself as a mercurial forward before making the move to Collingwood in 2018, where he reinvented himself as a wingman and defender.

After a tough first-year at the Pies following his high-profile trade, Mayne became one of the teams’ most reliable performers and fell back in love with footy.

A career in coaching or teaching is on the cards for the 32-year-old, who has a level three AFL coaching course and AFL list management course.

“We all know the last match is coming. I didn’t want to be caught short or unprepared. I hope that I can pass on my experiences as a player, at two wonderful clubs, in some fashion. As I said, I still love the game,” Mayne said.

Chris Mayne will retire at the end of the season.

On a positive note for Collingwood, two young stars are back in the mix as the Magpies search for another win.

Midfielder Josh Daicos has been cleared to resume full training this week after missing the past four matches with a fractured finger.

Daicos will be available to play if he gets through skill and contact sessions on the track this week.

First-year forward Beau McCreery is also poised to return from a high-grade hamstring injury that has sidelined him for the past five weeks.

“Beau’s had a really flawless rehab so far and has used that time really well to get on top of his body composition and reducing some mass,” Collingwood high performance manager Kevin White said.

“That will help him a little bit more efficiently cover the ground.

“Beau’s cherry ripe and he’s ready to go so it’s up to the match selection panel now which level he returns at.”

Defender Jeremy Howe got through his return match from a hamstring injury against West Coast last weekend with a “clean bill of health” and is ready to back it up against the Hawks.

However, midfielder Brayden Sier will not play football at any level this week after suffering a bad ankle sprain in the first quarter of the Magpies’ VFL match last weekend.