AFL Round 23 teams: Full selection news, Michael Hurley to play Essendon farewell game

Collingwood and Carlton have both dropped round 23 selection bombshells while champions make emotional farewells and North Melbourne makes mass changes. See all the teams + expert tips.

Carlton will roll the dice on three injured stars as it looks to book its first finals appearance since 2013 on Sunday.

The Blues have named midfielders George Hewett and Adam Cerra to return from injury against arch rival Collingwood, while Zac Williams has been named to play his first match since round 9.

Carlton has also named ruckman Tom De Koning on an extended bench for the do-or-die clash as it clings to its spot in the top eight.

Hewett has not featured since round 18 due to a back issue, while Cerra missed last weekend’s last-gasp loss to Melbourne.

Collingwood will regain Jordan De Goey for one of the biggest home-and-away games in recent memory and Jack Ginnivan has been named after he was subbed out of last week’s loss to Sydney with a hamstring injury.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE FULL ROUND 23 TEAMS, EXPERT TIPS

St Kilda confirmed during the week Dan Hannebery would be named for a farewell match against his old side Sydney.

Hannebery is one of seven inclusions for the Saints, who have lost Jimmy Webster, Mason Wood and Cooper Sharman to injury.

Richmond has named Jack Ross to replace injured on-baller Jack Graham, North Melbourne has recalled No.1 draft pick Jason Horne-Francis among five changes and Hawthorn has picked potential debutants Jack Saunders and Ned Long in its extended squad to face finals challenger Western Bulldogs.

Geelong has managed breakout midfielder Tom Atkins with top spot already secure, while Zach Reid joins Michael Hurley in Essendon’s team to face Richmond for Hurley’s farewell match.

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George Hewett returns from injury for the Blues in round 23. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Essendon veteran Michael Hurley will play an emotional farewell match against Richmond after confirming his retirement from the game.

Hurley told his Essendon teammates on Thursday morning that this season would be his last in the AFL after a challenging road back from injury.

The 32-year-old will make one more appearance in the red and black against the Tigers at the MCG on Saturday night.

Hurley has not played an AFL game since round 18, 2020, due to complications from a serious hip infection, which threatened his career.

“Physically and mentally, I am feeling up for the challenge, but such a big operation and a big couple of years, and the uncertainty around whether physically I could still keep up with the rigours of AFL footy, it really sets in that it was time to hang up the boots,” Hurley said on Friday.

“What keeps coming to mind is the relationships I have built here. I’ve been here since 2008 and while I probably haven’t experienced a lot of on-field success, and not everyone in AFL can have that, a different success to me is meeting special people and people from this club I’ll have in my life forever.

Michael Hurley trains with Dylan Shiel ahead of his farewell game. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

“While it’s hard to name everyone individually, I’d also like to thank the admin staff, the property staff and particularly the medical staff, for patching me up for the last 14 years.

“The most important people at the club to me are my teammates. You come into the club every day and when you’re younger, you don’t fully understand how lucky you are in this job. All you guys in this room hold a place in my heart and my past teammates, too.”

At its most serious, Hurley’s debilitating hip infection forced him to be hospitalised and resulted in weight loss of more than 10kg amid fears he would never play again.

He had hip joint replacement surgery last September in a bid to extract another year out of his AFL career.

Hurley has played 193 games for the Bombers after being taken as a first-round selection (No.5 overall) in the 2008 national draft, making his debut in 2009.

He was a two-time All-Australian in 2015 and 2017 at centre-half-back.

Hurley’s farewell game will provide a feel-good story for the Bombers after a dramatic week at Tullamarine in which coach Ben Rutten’s future has been under a cloud as the club makes a play for Alastair Clarkson.

AFL ROUND 23 TEAMS

BRISBANE LIONS v MELBOURNE

Friday, August 19, 7:50pm at The Gabba

LIONS

B: Gardiner, Payne, Rich

HB: Starcevich, Andrews, Coleman

C: Bailey, Zorko, McCluggage

HF: Rayner, Hipwood, McCarthy

F: McStay, Daniher, Cameron

FOLL: McInerney, Neale, J.Berry

I/C: Lyons, Prior, Mathieson, Answerth

EMG: Lohmann, Robinson, Fort, Lester

IN: Nil

OUT: Lester (sub)

DEMONS

B: Petty, Lever, Salem

HB: Rivers, May, Hibberd

C: Melksham, Oliver, Langdon

HF: Sparrow, Brown, Fritsch

F: Neal-Bullen, Jackson, Pickett

FOLL: Gawn, Viney, Petracca

I/C: Harmes, Spargo, Brayshaw, Hunt

EMG: Bedford, Bowey, Jordon, Smith

IN: Nil

OUT: Jordon (omitted)

GWS GIANTS v FREMANTLE

Saturday, August 20, 1:45pm at Manuka Oval

GIANTS

B: Cumming, Taylor, Haynes

HB: Kennedy, Aleer, Perryman

C: Ash, Kelly, Whitfield

HF: Brown, Himmelberg, Riccardi

F: Taranto, Hogan, Lloyd

FOLL: Briggs, Hopper, Coniglio

I/C: Green, Stein, Ward, Peatling

EMG: O’Halloran, Hamilton, Fleeton, Sproule

IN: Taranto, Peatling

OUT: Keeffe, Bruhn (both injured), O’Halloran (sub)

DOCKERS

B: Walker, Cox, Clark

HB: Young, Pearce, Ryan

C: Frederick, Brayshaw, Acres

HF: Schultz, Switkowski, O’Driscoll

F: Logue, Fyfe, Walters

FOLL: Darcy, Brodie, Serong

I/C: Meek, Mundy, Aish, Chapman

EMG: Banfield, Tucker, Henry, Hughes

IN: Fyfe, Meek

OUT: Tucker (omitted), Lobb (injured), Banfield (sub)

NORTH MELBOURNE v GOLD COAST

Saturday, August 20, 2:10pm at Marvel Stadium

KANGAROOS

B: Dawson, McKay, Young

HB: Bonar, Corr, Goater

C: Scott, Davies-Uniacke, McDonald

HF: Horne-Francis, Zurhaar, Powell

F: Greenwood, Larkey, Coleman-Jones

FOLL: Goldstein, Simpkin, Cunnington

I/C: Mahony, Taylor, Lazzaro, Perez

EMG: Bosenavulagi, Walker, Turner, Comben

IN: Bonar, Goater, Horne-Francis, Mahony, Perez

OUT: Hall (omitted), Archer, Stephenson, Ziebell, Curtis, Anderson (all injured)

SUNS

B: Lemmens, Collins, Farrar

HB: Andrew, Graham, Ellis

C: Flanders, Miller, Hollands

HF: Ainsworth, Chol, Sexton

F: Rosas, Casboult, Lukosius

FOLL: Witts, Swallow, Anderson

I/C: Davies, Macpherson, Oea, Rowell

EMG: Bowes, Burgess, Constable, Tsitas

IN: Sexton, Oea

OUT: Rankine, Day (both injured), Sharp (sub)

GEELONG CATS v WEST COAST

Saturday, August 20, 4:35pm at GMHBA Stadium

CATS

B: Z.Guthrie, De Koning, Bews

HB: Kolodjashnij, Henry, Stewart

C: Smith, Dangerfield, Holmes

HF: Close, Ratugolea, Parfitt

F: Stengle, Hawkins, Rohan

FOLL: Blicavs, C.Guthrie, Selwood

I/C: O’Connor, Tuohy, Menegola, Miers

EMG: Ceglar, Atkins, Dahlhaus, Neale

IN: Smith, Ratugolea

OUT: Cameron, Stanley (both injured), Atkins (managed)

EAGLES

B: Hurn, Barrass, Duggan

HB: Foley, Edwards, Jones

C: Petrevski-Seton, Kelly, Redden

HF: Cripps, Darling, Rioli

F: Langdon, Dixon, Ryan

FOLL: Williams, O’Neill, Shuey

I/C: Nelson, Bazzo, Rotham, Culley

EMG: Winder, Williams, Witherden, Clark

IN: Kelly, Rioli, Williams, Culley

OUT: Hough (illness), Waterman, Naitanui, Gaff (all injured), Clark (sub)

ESSENDON v RICHMOND

Saturday, August 20, 7:25pm at the MCG

BOMBERS

B: Laverde, Hurley, Zerk-Thatcher

HB: Redman, Kelly, Ridley

C: Durham, Parish, Heppell

HF: Guelfi, Shiel, Martin

F: Wright, Stringer, Perkins

FOLL: Draper, Merrett, Caldwell

I/C: D’Ambrosio, Hind, Reid, McGrath

EMG: Menzie, Phillips, Hobbs, Ham

IN: Hurley, Reid

OUT: Langford (injured), Bryan (omitted), Hobbs (sub)

TIGERS

B: Broad, Balta, Tarrant

HB: Baker, Vlastuin, D.Rioli

C: Pickett, Cotchin, McImtosh

HF: M.Rioli, Short, Bolton

F: Riewoldt, Cumberland, Lynch

FOLL: Nankervis, Prestia, Sonsie

I/C: Gibcus, Miller, Ross, Edwards

EMG: Soldo, Mansell, Castagna, Stack

IN: Ross

OUT: Graham (injured), Castagna (sub)

PORT ADELAIDE v ADELAIDE

Saturday, August 20, 7:30pm at Adelaide Oval

POWER

B: Burton, Jonas, Burgoyne

HB: Byrne-Jones, Aliir, Houston

C: Amon, Boak, Duursma

HF: Butters, Georgiades, Gray

F: Marshall, Dixon, Powell-Pepper

FOLL: Finlayson, Wines, Rozee

I/C: Bergman, Drew, Farrell, McEntee

EMG: Bonner, McKenzie, Dumont, Mead

IN: Gray

OUT: Bonner, Mead (both omitted)

CROWS

B: Worrell, Butts, Doedee

HB: Smith, Murray, Dawson

C: Hinge, Laird, Jones

HF: Milera, Fogarty, Soligo

F: McHenry, Walker, Murphy

FOLL: O’Brien, Berry, Keays

I/C: Thilthorpe, Parnell, Rowe, Schoenberg

EMG: Himmelberg, Gollant, Sholl, Davis

IN: Milera

OUT: McAdam (injured), Davis (sub)

HAWTHORN v WESTERN BULLDOGS

Sunday, August 21, 1:10pm at UTAS Stadium

HAWKS

B: Grainger-Barras, Blanck, Hardwick

HB: Scrimshaw, Sicily, Day

C: Maginness, O’Meara, Morrison

HF: Moore, Nash, Ward

F: Macdonald, Gunston, Breust

FOLL: McEvoy, Newcombe, Mitchell

I/C (from): Shiels, Callow, Jeka, Lynch, Howe, Long, Serong, Saunders

IN: Callow, Lynch, Long, Howe, Saunders

OUT: Impey (injured), Koschitzke (omitted)

BULLDOGS

B: Richards, Gardner, Cordy

HB: Daniel, Darcy, Dale

C: Macrae, Liberatore, Smith

HF: Vandermeer, Naughton, Dunkley

F: Weightman, Ugle-Hagan, Bruce

FOLL: English, Bontempelli, Treloar

I/C (from): Duryea, Hunter, Martin, McComb, O’Brien, Williams, Smith, West

IN: Bruce, Duryea, McComb, O’Brien

OUT: McNeil (omitted)

CARLTON v COLLINGWOOD

Sunday, August 21, 3:20pm at the MCG

BLUES

B: Marchbank, Young, Docherty

HB: Saad, Weitering, McGovern

C: Silvagni, Cripps, Cottrell

HF: Martin, McKay, Owies

F: Durdin, C.Curnow, Fisher

FOLL: Pittonet, Cerrra, Walsh

I/C (from): Williams, Hewett, De Koning, Setterfield, Stocker, Motlop, O’Brien, Newnes

IN: Cerra, Williams, Hewett, De Koning

OUT: Dow (sub)

MAGPIES

B: Noble, Moore, Howe

HB: Maynard, Quaynor, Lipinski

C: Sidebottom, Pendlebury, Hoskin-Elliott

HF: Elliott, Cameron, Ginnivan

F: De Goey, Mihocek, J.Daicos

FOLL: Cox, N.Daicos, Crisp

I/C (from): Bianco, Henry, Brown, Macrae, Murphy, McCreery, Johnson, Carmichael

IN: De Goey, Henry, Macrae

OUT: Nil

ST KILDA v SYDNEY SWANS

Sunday, August 21, 4:40pm at Marvel Stadium

SAINTS

B: Battle, Howard, Wilkie

HB: Hill, Sinclair, Paton

C: Lienert, Windhager, Wanganeen-Milera

HF: Jones, Membrey, Butler

F: Higgins, King, Owens

FOLL: Marshall, Hannebery, Steele

I/C (from): Clark, Ross, Long, Campbell, Kent, Byrnes, Joyce, Bytel

IN: Battle, Hannebery, Campbell, Byrnes, Kent, Joyce, Bytel

OUT: Crouch (suspended), Webster, Wood, Sharman (all injured)

SWANS

B: T.McCartin, P.McCartin, Fox

HB: Lloyd, Rampe, Florent

C: Warner, Rowbottom, Gulden

HF: Heeney, Reid, Hayward

F: Papley, Franklin, Clarke

FOLL: Hickey, Mills, Parker

I/C (from): Blakey, McInerney, Stephens, McLean, Wicks, Gould, McDonald, Campbell

IN: McLean, Gould, Wicks

OUT: Nil

AFL EXPERT TIPS

See who the footy experts from the Herald Sun and The Advertiser are picking in round 23.

Scott Gullan 144

Brisbane Lions 1

Fremantle 11

Gold Coast 26

Geelong 75

Richmond 36

Port Adelaide 10

Western Bulldogs 35

Collingwood 2

Sydney 15

Last Week 9

Jane Bunn 142

Brisbane Lions 8

Fremantle 20

Gold Coast 8

Geelong 30

Richmond 20

Port Adelaide 12

Western Bulldogs 8

Collingwood 6

Sydney 20

Last Week 8

Rebecca Williams 139

Brisbane Lions 5

Fremantle 14

Gold Coast 9

Geelong 18

Richmond 11

Port Adelaide 10

Western Bulldogs 7

Carlton 4

Sydney 8

Last Week 8

Gerard Whateley 138

Melbourne 1

Fremantle 20

Gold Coast 6

Geelong 60

Richmond 30

Port Adelaide 24

Western Bulldogs 8

Carlton 1

Sydney 18

Last Week 9

Jay Clark 137

Brisbane Lions 10

Fremantle 21

Gold Coast 15

Geelong 36

Richmond 16

Port Adelaide 21

Western Bulldogs 12

Carlton 6

Sydney 22

Last Week 8

Sam Landsberger 137

Melbourne 11

Fremantle 16

Gold Coast 2

Geelong 65

Richmond 43

Port Adelaide 10

Western Bulldogs 18

Carlton 5

Sydney 22

Last Week 9

Lauren Wood 135

Brisbane Lions 11

Fremantle 17

Gold Coast 23

Geelong 19

Richmond 21

Port Adelaide 8

Western Bulldogs 16

Collingwood 9

Sydney 24

Last Week 8

Glenn McFarlane 134

Melbourne 1

Fremantle 5

Gold Coast 20

Geelong 45

Richmond 25

Port Adelaide 12

Western Bulldogs 5

Collingwood 1

Sydney 15

Last Week 7

Mark Robinson 134

Brisbane Lions 2

Fremantle 28

Gold Coast 22

Geelong 79

Richmond 18

Port Adelaide 5

Western Bulldogs 11

Collingwood 1

Sydney 29

Last Week 9

Simeon Thomas-Wilson 133

Brisbane Lions 12

Fremantle 18

Gold Coast 22

Geelong 41

Richmond 18

Port Adelaide 14

Western Bulldogs 14

Carlton 6

Sydney 22

Last Week 9

Tim Watson 131

Melbourne 6

Fremantle 18

Gold Coast 14

Geelong 42

Richmond 22

Port Adelaide 18

Western Bulldogs 16

Carlton 6

Sydney 16

Last Week 8

Jon Ralph 130

Brisbane Lions 7

Fremantle 12

Gold Coast 3

Geelong 58

Richmond 12

Port Adelaide 23

Western Bulldogs 33

Collingwood 12

Sydney 12

Last Week 8

Liz Walsh 130

Brisbane Lions 14

Fremantle 16

Gold Coast 21

Geelong 34

Richmond 16

Port Adelaide 6

Hawthorn 3

Collingwood 6

Sydney 21

Last Week 9

Chris Cavanagh 127

Melbourne 12

Fremantle 1

Gold Coast 18

Geelong 42

Richmond 30

Port Adelaide 30

Western Bulldogs 12

Collingwood 1

Sydney 24

Last Week 8

Kath Loughnan 127

Melbourne 6

Fremantle 16

North Melbourne 6

Geelong 32

Richmond 12

Port Adelaide 18

Hawthorn 6

Carlton 6

Sydney 18

Last Week 9

Ebony Marinoff 127

Brisbane Lions

GWS Giants

Gold Coast

Geelong

Richmond

Adelaide

Western Bulldogs

Collingwood

Sydney

Last Week 7

Sally Capp 125

Brisbane Lions 13

Fremantle 3

Gold Coast 17

Geelong 30

Richmond 13

Port Adelaide 20

Western Bulldogs 13

Collingwood 23

Sydney 30

Last Week 7

Mick Malthouse 125

Melbourne 6

Fremantle 18

Gold Coast 22

Geelong 34

Richmond 18

Port Adelaide 16

Western Bulldogs 15

Collingwood 6

Sydney 23

Last Week 7

Mick McGuane 124

Brisbane Lions 15

Fremantle 17

Gold Coast 22

Geelong 60

Richmond 33

Port Adelaide 18

Western Bulldogs 22

Collingwood 2

Sydney 26

Last Week 8

David King 123

Melbourne 6

Fremantle 16

Gold Coast 14

Geelong 36

Richmond 18

Port Adelaide 15

Western Bulldogs 12

Carlton 6

Sydney 19

Last Week 8

Dermott Brereton 122

Brisbane Lions 6

Fremantle 12

Gold Coast 16

Geelong 26

Richmond 18

Port Adelaide 19

Western Bulldogs 16

Carlton 6

Sydney 16

Last Week 7

James Hird 122

Brisbane Lions 6

GWS Giants 10

Gold Coast 11

Geelong 20

Essendon 7

Port Adelaide 15

Western Bulldogs 12

Collingwood 11

Sydney 8

Last Week 6

Matt Turner 122

Melbourne 6

Fremantle 16

North Melbourne 6

Geelong 32

Richmond 12

Port Adelaide 18

Western Bulldogs 13

Collingwood 6

Sydney 21

Last Week 7

Graham Cornes 121

Brisbane Lions 10

Fremantle 15

North Melbourne 5

Geelong 35

Richmond 20

Adelaide 5

Western Bulldogs 15

Collingwood 5

Sydney 25

Last Week 8

Sarah Jones 121

Brisbane Lions 1

Fremantle 5

Gold Coast 19

Geelong 40

Richmond 9

Port Adelaide 8

Western Bulldogs 2

Carlton 1

Sydney 15

Last Week 8

Chloe Molloy 114

Melbourne

Fremantle

Gold Coast

Geelong

Richmond

Port Adelaide

Western Bulldogs

Collingwood

Sydney

Last Week 8

Kiss of Death 57

Melbourne 13

GWS Giants 13

North Melbourne 13

West Coast 13

Essendon 13

Adelaide 13

Hawthorn 13

Collingwood 13

St Kilda 13

Last Week 1