Stars return for mouth-watering Demons vs. Dogs clash

On the eve of the season’s most anticipated clash, the Demons and Bulldogs have confirmed they will both welcome back injured stars.

Both the Demons and Bulldogs will welcome back stars for what firms as the most mouthwatering clash of the AFL season thus far.

Christian Salem re-enters the backline for the ladder-leading Dees, after sitting out last week’s loss to the Crows.

Veteran Nathan Jones, who is edging closer to the club’s all-time games record, has not been included in the side, despite playing VFL last weekend on his return from a hamstring injury.

Meanwhile, the Dogs have been bolstered by news that both Patrick Lipinski and Tim English are primed to return.

Toby McLean had been a chance to return for the Dogs in the VFL this weekend, but with VFL fixtures cancelled in response to Victoria’s Covid-19 outbreak, he will once again miss out.

The winner of Friday night’s match will move one game clear at the top of the AFL ladder.

The league’s top two sides aren’t the only ones celebrating big inclusions for round 11.

Richmond has named Trent Cotchin, Dion Prestia, Callum Coleman-Jones, Mabior Chol, Josh Caddy and Shai Bolton in its extended squad. The Tigers are facing Adelaide at the SCG for one of two matches relocated due to new border restrictions.

Star Port Adelaide recruit Orazio Fantasia has also been named in his side’s 26-man squad after recovering from leg soreness.

Elsewhere, West Coast’s Elliot Yeo will play his first AFL game since August, having struggled with osteitis pubis for the best part of a year.

Yeo played for West Coast’s WAFL side last weekend. Picture: Daniel Wilkins

ROUND 11 TEAMS (All times AEST)

WESTERN BULLDOGS v MELBOURNE

Friday May 28, 7:50pm at Marvel Stadium

BULLDOGS

B: Duryea, Keath, Crozier

HB: Williams, Cordy, Daniel

C: Dale, Liberatore, Johannisen

HF: Hunter, Bruce, Weightman

F: English, Naughton, Bontempelli

FOLL: Sweet, Macrae, B.Smith

I/C: Lipinski, McNeil, R.Smith, Garcia

EMG: Le. Young, West, Butler, Gardner

IN: English, Lipinski, Garcia

OUT: Hannan, Treloar (both injured), Scott (managed), Le. Young (medical sub)

DEMONS

B: Hunt, May, Lever

HB: Salem, Petty, Hibberd

C: Brayshaw, Petracca, Langdon

HF: Jordon, McDonald, Melksham

F: Fritsch, Weideman, Spargo

FOLL: Gawn, Oliver, Pickett

I/C: Harmes, Jackson, Rivers, Neal-Bullen

EMG: Bowey, Sparrow, Chandler, Brown

IN: Salem

OUT: Jetta (omitted), Sparrow (medical sub)

COLLINGWOOD v GEELONG CATS

Saturday May 29, 1:45pm at the MCG

MAGPIES

B: Mayne, Roughead, Maynard

HB: Quaynor, Moore, Noble

C: Hoskin-Elliott, Daicos, Poulter

HF: Sidebottom, Cameron, Pendlebury

F: De Goey, Mihocek, Bianco

FOLL: Grundy, Sier, Crisp

I/C: Brown, Madgen, Murphy, Wilson

EMG: Keane, Kelly, Macrae, Rantall

IN: Bianco, Sier, Madgen

OUT: Brown, McCreery, Thomas, Adams (all injured)

CATS

B: Henderson, Blicavs, Henry

HB: Bews, Stewart, Kolodjashnij

C: Smith, Guthrie, Menegola

HF: Parfitt, Cameron, Atkins

F: Higgins, Hawkins, Rohan

FOLL: Ratugolea, Narkle, Selwood

I/C: Tuohy, Holmes, Dalhaus, Close

EMG: Constable, Clark, Guthrie, Stanley

IN: Holmes

OUT: Duncan (injured), Guthrie (medical sub)

BRISBANE LIONS v GWS GIANTS

Saturday May 29, 2:10pm at the Gabba

LIONS

B: Prior, Andrews, Starcevich

HB: Rich, Adams, Birchall

C: Zorko, Bailey, McCluggage

HF: Ah Chee, Daniher, McCarthy

F: McStay, Hipwood, Cameron

FOLL: McInerney, Lyons, Robinson

I/C: Robertson, Coleman, Mathieson, Madden

EMG: T.Berry, Fullarton, Joyce, Ballenden

IN: Nil

OUT: T.Berry (medical sub)

GIANTS

B: Buckley, Haynes, Idun

HB: Buntine, Cumming, Ash

C: Kelly, Ward, Whitfield

HF: Hill, Finlayson, O’Halloran

F: Flynn, Sproule, Himmelberg

FOLL: Mumford, Taranto, Hopper

I/C: Reid, Riccardi, Green, Lloyd

EMG: Briggs, Brown, Shipley, Bruhn

IN: Nil

OUT: Taylor (injured)

ST KILDA v NORTH MELBOURNE

Saturday May 29, 4:35pm at Marvel Stadium

SAINTS

B: Wilkie, Howard, Webster

HB: Geary, Highmore, Sinclair

C: Billings, Crouch, Hill

HF: Butler, Ross, Higgins

F: Battle, King, Membrey

FOLL: Ryder, Steele, Dunstan

I/C: Clavarino, Coffield, Wood, Byrnes

EMG: Lonie, Long, Bytel, Hunter

IN: Dunstan, Clavarino, Coffield, Wood

OUT: Bytel, Lonie (omitted), Frawley, McKernan, Clark (injured)

KANGAROOS

B: Ziebell, McKay, Atley

HB: Hall, Walker, Turner

C: Dumont, Cunnington, La. Young

HF: Taylor, Garner, Davies-Uniacke

F: Zurhaar, Larkey, Mahony

FOLL: Goldstein, Thomas, Simpkin

I/C: Scott, Powell, Menadue, Campbell

EMG: Bosenavulagi, Phillips, Lazzaro, Xerri

IN: Nil

OUT: Lazzaro (omitted)

GOLD COAST SUNS v HAWTHORN

Saturday May 29, 7:40pm at the SCG

SUNS

B: Powell, Collins, Lemmens

HB: Lukosius, Ballard, Markov

C: Ellis, Greenwood, Atkins

HF: Swallow, Burgess, Holman

F: Rankine, King, Sexton

FOLL: Smith, Weller, Miller

I/C: Anderson, Farrar, Flanders, Rosas

EMG: Corbett, Graham, McLennan, MacPherson

IN: Farrar

OUT: Corbett, Graham (both omitted)

HAWKS

B: Hardwick, Frost, Impey

HB: Greaves, Jiath, Howe

C: Morrison, Cousins, Scrimshaw

HF: Worpel, Breust, Wingard

F: Reeves, Lewis, Koschitzke

FOLL: McEvoy, Mitchell, Burgoyne

I/C: Philips, Morris, Moore, Shiels

EMG: O’Brien, Nash, Brockman, Maginness

IN: Burgoyne, Shiels

OUT: Hartigan (listed as injured despite being suspended), O’Meara (injured), Hanrahan (omitted)

WEST COAST EAGLES v ESSENDON

Saturday May 29, 7:40pm at Optus Stadium

EAGLES

B: Hurn, Barrass, Sheppard

HB: Brander, Rotham, Cole

C: Gaff, Redden, Cripps

HF: Ah Chee, Darling, Sheed

F: Allen, Kennedy, Ryan

FOLL: Naitanui, Yeo, Kelly

I/C: Petruccelle, Nelson, Jones, Williams

EMG: Waterman, H.Edwards, L.Edwards, Foley

IN: Yeo

OUT: H.Edwards, Waterman (both omitted)

BOMBERS

B: Laverde, Francis, Ridley

HB: Heppell, Stewart, Hind

C: McGrath, Merrett, Cox

HF: Perkins, Stringer, Snelling

F: Waterman, Hooker, McDonald-Tipungwuti

FOLL: Phillips, Parish, Zaharakis

I/C: Redman, Guelfi, Langford, Wright

EMG: Ham, Zerk-Thatcher, Ambrose, Jones

IN: Stringer

OUT: Jones (managed), Ham (sub)

RICHMOND v ADELAIDE CROWS

Sunday May 30, 2:10pm at Giants Stadium

TIGERS

B: Vlastuin, Balta, Grimes

HB: Short, Broad, Houli

C: McIntosh, Cotchin, Caddy

HF: Aarts, Bolton, Castagna

F: Coleman-Jones, Martin, Riewoldt

FOLL: Nankervis, Baker, Prestia

I/C (from): Ralphsmith, Astbury, Collier-Dawkins, Chol, Dow, Martyn, Graham, Rioli

IN: Cotchin, Caddy, Bolton, Coleman-Jones, Prestia, Chol, Dow

OUT: Ross (omitted), Pickett (suspended), Lynch, Naish (both injured)

CROWS

B: Doedee, Butts, Murray

HB: Smith, Jones, Brown

C: Sholl, Keays, Seedsman

HF: McHenry, Walker, Berry

F: Rowe, Thilthorpe, Fogarty

FOLL: O’Brien, Laird, Sloane

I/C (from): Schoenberg, Kelly, McAdam, Mackay, Hamill, O’Connor, Frampton, McPherson

IN: Hamill, Frampton, McPherson

OUT: Nil

SYDNEY SWANS v CARLTON

Sunday May 28, 3:20pm at SCG

SWANS

B: Dawson, McCartin, Cunningham

HB: Hewett, Rampe, Lloyd

C: Mills, Florent, Rowbottom

HF: Wicks, McLean, Heeney

F: Hayward, Franklin, Papley

FOLL: Sinclair, Parker, Kennedy

I/C (from): Brand, Warner, McInerney, Stephens, O’Riordan, Amartey, Bell, Taylor

IN: Sinclair, Brand, McInerney, Amartey, O’Riordan, Bell, Taylor

OUT: Blakey (omitted), Fox, Hickey (both injured), Clarke (sub)

BLUES

B: Saad, Jones, Newman

HB: Stocker, Weitering, Williams

C: Docherty, Cripps, Cottrell

HF: Walsh, Silvagni, Owies

F: Fogarty, McKay, Betts

FOLL: Pittonet, Setterfield, E.Curnow

I/C (from): Parks, Murphy, De Koning, Gibbons, Honey, Newnes, Martin, Casboult

IN: Parks, Newnes, Martin, Casboult

OUT: Plowman (suspended)

PORT ADELAIDE v FREMANTLE

Sunday May 30, 5:20pm at Adelaide Oval

POWER

B: Burton, McKenzie, Aliir

HB: Jones, Jonas, Byrne-Jones

C: Houston, Wines, Amon

HF: Georgiades, Marshall, Motlop

F: Rozee, Dixon, Gray

FOLL: Ladhams, Boak, Powell-Pepper

I/C (from): Bergman, Farrell, Drew, Lienert, Woodcock, Frederick, Fantasia, Bonner

IN: Lienert, Frederick, Woodcock, Fantasia

OUT: Hartlett (omitted)

DOCKERS

B: Aish, Logue, Ryan

HB: Wilson, Cox, Tucker

C: Acres, Mundy, Cerra

HF: Colyer, Lobb, Switkowski

F: Schultz, Treacy, Walters

FOLL: Darcy, Fyfe, Serong

I/C (from): Brayshaw, Henry, Crowden, Watson, Duman, Blakely, Western, Meek

IN: Brayshaw, Duman, Western, Meek

OUT: Taberner (injured)