AFLW teams: Alyssa Bannan fit to play as Carlton skipper returns

Melbourne has revealed whether Alyssa Bannan will play on Friday night as Carlton receives a huge boost before its Tigers blockbuster.

Melbourne star Alyssa Bannan has been named to play on Friday night after missing most of the Western Bulldogs match with an ankle injury. Picture: Mark Metcalfe / Getty Images

Melbourne star Alyssa Bannan has been named to face Hawthorn after an ankle scare last week, but her forward line replacement will miss the Friday night clash.

Maddi Gay has been ruled out with an undisclosed injury after she kicked multiple goals for the first time in the round 3 win over the Bulldogs, with Irish debutant Aimee Mackin coming into the side.

Hawthorn has picked inaugural signing Bridget Deed for her first game of the season along with second-year forward Tahlia Fellows, with Akec Makur Chuot rested and Lou Stephenson out through concussion.

Kerryn Peterson has been cleared to return from a knee injury and will lead Carlton for the first time this season in a major boost for the Blues ahead of Saturday afternoon’s clash with Richmond at Ikon Park.

The Carlton captain replaces defender Gen Lawson-Tavan, who has been suspended for a week for rough conduct.

Carlton skipper Kerryn Peterson (centre) returns after being forced to look on from the bench in the opening three rounds due to a knee injury. Picture: Michael Willson / Getty Images

The Tigers will bring in young key position duo Stella Reid and Poppy Kelly for the clash after both were dropped ahead of their win over the Giants in Blacktown, with Jess Hosking and Sarah D’Arcy out injured.

Outspoken Adelaide winger Deni Varnhagen will play her first AFLW game since the 2021 grand final after she was placed on the Crows’ inactive list for two seasons while she refused to follow the AFL’s Covid vaccination protocols.

Varnhagen and Montana McKinnon come in for Stevie-Lee Thompson (back) and Lisa Whiteley (omitted) as the Crows face GWS in Canberra on Saturday.

Essendon and St Kilda have both been affected by concussion ahead of their respective clashes with Fremantle and Collingwood on Sunday, with Bombers inaugural leading goalkicker Daria Bannister and Saints teenager J’Noemi Anderson set to miss two weeks.

Experienced Western Bulldogs pair Daisy Bateman and Bailey Hunt could both return after they were surprise omissions against Melbourne, with the pair named on an extended bench alongside Millie Brown ahead of a Sunday twilight clash with Gold Coast at Heritage Bank Stadium.

In-form North Melbourne has brought Jenna Bruton and Kate Shierlaw into its squad for a big clash against Brisbane in Launceston on Sunday, with the Lions missing key forward Dakota Davidson through suspension.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22

Hawthorn v Melbourne at Kinetic Stadium, 5.05pm AEST

HAWTHORN

In: T.Fellows, B.Deed

Out: L.Stephenson (concussion), A.Makur Chuot (managed)

MELBOURNE

In: A.Mackin (debut)

Out: M.Gay (managed)

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

Greater Western Sydney v Adelaide at Manuka Oval, 11.05am AEST

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

In: C.Miller

Out: A.Eva (suspension)

ADELAIDE

In: M.McKinnon, D.Varnhagen

Out: S.Thompson (back), L.Whiteley (omitted)

Carlton v Richmond at Ikon Park, 1.05pm AEST

CARLTON

In: K.Peterson

Out: G.Lawson (suspension)

RICHMOND

In: S.Reid, P.Kelly

Out: J.Hosking (ankle), S.D’Arcy (Injured)

Port Adelaide v Geelong at Alberton Oval, 12.35pm ACST

PORT ADELAIDE

In: M.Keryk

Out: M.MacLachlan (omitted)

GEELONG

In: R.Webster, B.Plummer

Out: J.Crockett-Grills (suspension), O.Fuller (omitted)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

Sydney v West Coast at Henson Park, 1.05pm AEST

SYDNEY

In: L.Szigeti, P.Sheppard, J.Anthony, A.Woodward, E.Vale

Out: M.Beruldsen (omitted), M.Ham (foot)

WEST COAST

In: S.Davison, A.Bushby, S.Lakay, M.Webb

Out: E.Elkington (concussion)

North Melbourne v Brisbane at UTAS Stadium, 1.05pm AEST

NORTH MELBOURNE

In: J.Bruton, K.Shierlaw, L.Burke, L.McGrath

Out: A.Considine (omitted)

BRISBANE

In: C.Wendland, E.Smith, K.Hillier, T.Smith

Out: D.Davidson (suspension)

Essendon v Fremantle at Windy Hill, 3.05pm AEST

ESSENDON

In: J.Doonan, A.Morcom, M.Dyke, D.Marshall, A.Barba

Out: D.Bannister (concussion), L.Cutting (omitted)

FREMANTLE

In: P.Seth, N.Nield, M.Tuhakaraina

Out: Nil

St Kilda v Collingwood at RSEA Park, 3.05pm AEST

ST KILDA

In: E.Friend, C.Matthews, A.Burke, E.McKinnon, R.Dillon

Out: R.Saulitis (omitted), J.Anderson (concussion)

COLLINGWOOD

In: C.Blair, J.Bates, J.Lin

Out: Nil

Gold Coast v Western Bulldogs at Heritage Bank Stadium, 3.05pm AEST

GOLD COAST

In: E.Maurer, G.Davies, V.Saad

Out: Nil

WESTERN BULLDOGS

In: D.Bateman, M.Brown, B.Hunt

Out: Nil