GEELONG has resisted the temptation to put Gary Ablett under the Friday night lights against Greater Western Sydney.

In other selection news, Kangaroo Sam Wright will play his first match in 701 days, Paddy Ryder and Jasper Pittard are back for Port Adelaide and Matt Eagles – winner of The Recruit – could debut for Brisbane.

Ablett (hamstring) will miss a fourth consecutive game for the Cats, but Scott Selwood (concussion) and out-of-favour ruckman Zac Smith will play, along with ex-Bomber and Bulldog Stewart Crameri.

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However, the dual Brownlow medallist declared on Channel Nine he will be back for Sunday week's clash against Collingwood at the MCG.

"I was eyeing off this round. When I first heard (about the injury), I sat down with the physios and the doc. They don't like to put a timeframe on things but this is the one I was aiming for," Ablett said.

"Unfortunately, we all felt as though I hadn't got enough training leading into this game so we made the decision to give it one more week.

"I'll be ready to go next week."

The Cats dumped Rhys Stanley after he was well beaten by Callum Sinclair in Saturday's loss to Sydney and James Parsons, while George Horlin-Smith did not adequately recover from his concussion.

Recycled duo Lachie Keeffe (Collingwood) and Dylan Buckley (Carlton), who were both delisted last year, will make their Giants debut in place of injured stars Jeremy Cameron (toe) and Brett Deledio (hamstring).

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Gold Coast has made five changes for its trip to Ballarat to face the Western Bulldogs on Saturday, but Aaron Hall will remain in NEAFL purgatory for a third week.

The injury-ravaged Suns instead promoted newcomers Brayden Crossley and Charlie Ballard, as well as Callum Ah Chee, Michael Rischitelli and Brad Scheer.

Co-captains Steven May (finger) and Tom Lynch (knee) were already announced as major outs, along with Jesse Lonergan (knee) and Brayden Fiorini (leg), while Michael Barlow was dropped.

Right in the feels. See the moment Crossley and Ballard learnt they would run out this weekend to face the Bulldogs. pic.twitter.com/7NdfzUkj5D — GC SUNS (@GoldCoastSUNS) May 3, 2018

The Bulldogs also lost their skipper, with Easton Wood unavailable because of a hamstring injury and young defender Lewis Young is in for his first game of 2018.

Orazio Fantasia (groin) will miss again for Essendon, but the Bombers will have Irish speedster Conor McKenna (suspension) and rested pair Tom Bellchambers and David Myers.

Jackson Merrett and Matt Guelfi lost their spots for the match-up with Hawthorn, while Matthew Leuenberger (suspension) is Essendon's other out.

Defender James Sicily returns from suspension for the Hawks, who regain vice-captain Liam Shiels (back) and dropped James Cousins and David Mirra.

All Australian ruckman Paddy Ryder and important defender Jasper Pittard are back for Port Adelaide's trip west to take on West Coast at Optus Stadium.

They have played only one game between them this season because of respective Achilles and hamstring setbacks, but replace Chad Wingard (hamstring) and omitted backman Tom Clurey.

Sam Powell-Pepper and Tom Rockliff have both been named as emergencies.

The Eagles brought back Jackson Nelson and Mark Hutchings to cover Lewis Jetta (calf) and Dom Sheed (foot).

Adelaide will again be without Rory Sloane (foot) and captain Taylor Walker (hamstring) didn't come up, but regains Eddie Betts, Jake Kelly and Darcy Fogarty for its home game against Carlton.

Joining Walker out of the side are Riley Knight (managed) and Myles Poholke (omitted).

Matthew Kreuzer's return from a groin injury provides some timely relief for the Blues, who will be without Charlie Curnow and Caleb Marchbank (both ankle).

Jarrod Garlett and Nick Graham are also back for Carlton, which dropped Jack Silvagni for the second time this season.

Sam Wright's absence from the AFL will end at 701 days on Saturday when he finally returns to North Melbourne's senior line-up against Sydney at the SCG.

Wright last played for the Kangaroos in round 11, 2016, but appears to have beaten his persistent foot problems and has played the first month this year in the VFL.

Shaun Higgins (concussion) and Mason Wood, after six goals in state league ranks, are North's other additions for Majak Daw (foot), Jarrad Waite (managed) and Luke Davies-Uniacke (omitted).

Dean Towers (eye) returns for the Swans, who dropped Dan Robinson.

Fremantle could make up to five changes for Sunday's early game against Richmond at the MCG, with Michael Walters (knee) the sole confirmed out.

Brennan Cox, Shane Kersten, Ryan Nyhuis, Tommy Sheridan and Ethan Hughes are in contention to play.

The Tigers are yet to drop anyone, with Brandon Ellis, Jacob Townsend, Sam Lloyd and Ivan Soldo on standby if captain Trent Cotchin's knee doesn't recover in time.

Melbourne has named Christian Petracca (infected finger from dog bite) to return against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

The call on Petracca – who missed Sunday's win over Essendon and started the week in hospital – is likely to go down to the wire.

Cam Pedersen, Jeff Garlett, Tim Smith and Josh Wagner are the Demons' other possible inclusions, with Christian Salem (broken thumb) going out.

The Saints have managed Blake Acres and could recall David Armitage, Hunter Clark, Josh Battle and Rowan Marshall, while Ben Paton is in line to make his debut.

Collingwood will sport a bolstered line-up in Sunday's away clash against Brisbane, with Darcy Moore and Taylor Adams (both hamstring) and rested pair Travis Varcoe and Ben Crocker to return.

Alex Fasolo may also make his season debut for the Magpies, while Sam McLarty and Brayden Sier could play their first games.

James Aish (knee), Brayden Maynard (ankle) and Ben Reid (Achilles) are the only outs so far.

The Lions could welcome back Luke Hodge, Ben Keays, Rohan Bewick and Claye Beams, while key defender Matt Eagles – winner of The Recruit's second season – is a possible debutant.

Brisbane placed Jack Payne (shin) on the long-term injury list and promoted Eagles, a Category B rookie, to the primary list.

There will be at least one change because of midfielder Nick Robertson's suspension.

Friday, May 4

Geelong v Greater Western Sydney at GMHBA Stadium, 7.50pm AEST

GEELONG

In: S.Selwood, S.Crameri, Z.Smith

Out: J.Parsons, R.Stanley, G.Horlin-Smith (concussion)

New: Stewart Crameri (Western Bulldogs)

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

In: D.Buckley, L.Keeffe

Out: J.Cameron (toe), B.Deledio (hamstring)

New: Dylan Buckley (Carlton), Lachie Keeffe (Collingwood)

Saturday, May 5

Western Bulldogs v Gold Coast at MARS Stadium, 1.45pm AEST

WESTERN BULLDOGS

In: L.Young

Out: E.Wood (hamstring)

GOLD COAST

In: B.Crossley, C.Ah Chee, M.Rischitelli, C.Ballard, B.Scheer

Out: S.May (finger), T.Lynch (knee), J.Lonergan (knee), B.Fiorini (leg), M.Barlow

New: Charlie Ballard (Sturt), Brayden Crossley (Southport)

Essendon v Hawthorn at the MCG, 2.10pm AEST

ESSENDON

In: C.McKenna, T.Bellchambers, D.Myers

Out: J.Merrett, M.Leuenberger (suspension), M.Guelfi

HAWTHORN

In: J.Sicily, L.Shiels

Out: J.Cousins, D.Mirra

West Coast v Port Adelaide at Optus Stadium, 2.35pm AWST

WEST COAST

In: J.Nelson, M.Hutchings

Out: L.Jetta (calf), D.Sheed (foot)

PORT ADELAIDE

In: P.Ryder, J.Pittard

Out: C.Wingard (hamstring), T.Clurey

Sydney Swans v North Melbourne at the SCG, 7.25pm AEST

SYDNEY SWANS

In: D.Towers

Out: D.Robinson

NORTH MELBOURNE

In: S.Wright, S.Higgins, M.Wood

Out: L.Davies-Uniacke, J.Waite (managed), M.Daw (foot)

Adelaide v Carlton at Adelaide Oval, 7.10pm ACST

ADELAIDE

In: E.Betts, J.Kelly, D.Fogarty

Out: R.Knight (managed), T.Walker (hamstring), M.Poholke

CARLTON

In: M.Kreuzer, J.Garlett, N.Graham

Out: C.Curnow (ankle), C.Marchbank (ankle), J.Silvagni

Sunday, May 6

Richmond v Fremantle at the MCG, 1.10pm AEST

RICHMOND

In: B.Ellis, J.Townsend, S.Lloyd, I.Soldo

Out: -

FREMANTLE

In: B.Cox, S.Kersten, R.Nyhuis, T.Sheridan, E.Hughes

Out: M.Walters (knee)

St Kilda v Melbourne at Etihad Stadium, 3.20pm AEST

ST KILDA

In: H.Clark, D.Armitage, J.Battle, R.Marshall, B.Paton

Out: B.Acres (managed)

New: Ben Paton (Murray U18)

MELBOURNE

In: C.Petracca, C.Pedersen, J.Garlett, T.Smith, J.Wagner

Out: C.Salem (thumb)

Brisbane Lions v Collingwood at the Gabba, 4.40pm AEST

BRISBANE LIONS

In: L.Hodge, B.Keays, S.Mayes, C.Beams, M.Eagles

Out: N.Robertson (suspended)

New: Matt Eagles (The Recruit)

COLLINGWOOD

In: T.Adams, B.Crocker, A.Fasolo, S.McLarty, D.Moore, B.Sier, T.Varcoe

Out: J.Aish (knee), B.Maynard (ankle), B.Reid (Achilles)

New: Sam McLarty (Oakleigh U18), Brayden Sier (Northern U18)