MELBOURNE has pulled the rug out from underneath 21-year-old Bayley Fritsch after announcing its preliminary final team.

The Demons tapped Fritsch on the shoulder to notify the promising star that he will drop outside the team’s best 22 to face West Coast at Optus Stadium on Saturday.

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin was forced to make the shock change in order to try and combat the Eagles’ tall forward line.

The Eagles’ key talls, including Jack Darling and Josh Kennedy, were the reason Joel Smith earned the shock re-call.

Smith laid an impressive eight tackles in VFL club Casey’s win over Essendon on Saturday and Goodwin admitted earlier this week that his name would surely come up during match committee discussions this week.

The Herald Sun’s Sam Landsberger was the first to report word of the selection “heartbreak” confronting the Demons.

It was then confirmed when Melbourne officially announced their team for the all-or-nothing final Saturday.

1️⃣ change for WA.



Joel Smith replaces Bayley Fritsch in the side for Saturday's Preliminary Final.



📝: https://t.co/RnPBe59e3g pic.twitter.com/1cggAH2fsw — Melbourne FC (@melbournefc) September 20, 2018

“Dees have made the call. Fritsch desperately unlucky after playing all but one game this year,” Fox Sports’ Tom Morris tweeted.

Not a fan of this change at all https://t.co/ExMElAw6ET — Rudi (@RudiEdsall) September 20, 2018

That's bloody stiff on Bayley Fritsch. Been super this year. — Ethan (@ethan_meldrum) September 20, 2018

Fritsch is set to miss the club’s biggest game since the 2000 grand final loss to Essendon.

The Demons last week steamrolled Hawthorn with an unchanged line-up.

However, Melbourne legend Gerard Healy admitted earlier this week that the Eagles’ talls would force Goodwin to make a tough call.

“I think his name will come up,” Healy said of Smith on Sportsday Radio.

“I think there will be big discussion. He gives them great flexibility and they are going in against a side that is different to everyone else.

“They’ve got so many tall forwards. They’ve got the Krakour brothers (Willie Rioli and Liam Ryan) who are creating havoc at ground level. This guy gives them more flexibility than a Hannan.”

Fritsch’s shock omission was the only big out for the two preliminary final contests set to take place this weekend.

West Coast were forced to make one change, but it comes courtesy of an injury. Will Schofield comes into the team for Brad Sheppard who tore his hamstring against Collingwood.

Both Richmond and Collingwood will enter Friday night with unchanged squads in a game at the sold out MCG.

Despite plenty of speculation surrounding his availability all week long, 2017 Brownlow Medal winner Dustin Martin will take part in the action.

FULL TEAMS NAMED

Richmond: David Astbury, Alex Rance, Dylan Grimes, Bachar Houli, Nick Vlastuin, Nathan Broad, Shaun Grigg, Trent Cotchin, Kamdyn McIntosh, Daniel Rioli, Shane Edwards, Jason Castagna, Jack Riewoldt, Dustin Martin, Josh Caddy, Toby Nankervis, Kane Lambert, Dion Prestia. I/C: Jayden Short, Jack Higgins, Jack Graham, Reece Conca. Emergencies: Ryan Garthwaite, Ivan Soldo, Brandon Ellis, Sam Lloyd

Collingwood: Brayden Maynard, Tom Langdon, Jack Crisp, Jeremy Howe, Tyson Goldsack, Travis Varcoe, Adam Treloar, Scott Pendlebury, Tom Phillips, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Brody Mihocek, Jordan De Goey, Josh Thomas, Mason Cox, Jaidyn Stephenson, Brodie Grundy, Taylor Adams, Steele Sidebottom. I/C: Brayden Sier, James Aish, Chris Mayne, Levi Greenwood. Emergencies: Jarryd Blair, Callum Brown, Jack Madgen, Ben Reid.

West Coast: Shannon Hurn, Tom Barrass, Will Schofield, Thomas Cole, Jeremy McGovern, Lewis Jetta, Dom Sheed, Luke Shuey, Chris Masten, Mark LeCras, Jack Darling, Mark Hutchings, Willie Rioli, Josh Kennedy, Jamie Cripps, Scott Lycett, Elliot Yeo, Jack Redden. I/C: Liam Ryan, Liam Duggan, Daniel Venables, Nathan Vardy. Emergencies: Oscar Allen, Jackson Nelson, Brayden Ainsworth, Brendon Ah Chee.

Melbourne: Neville Jetta, Oscar McDonald, Jordan Lewis, Christian Salem, Sam Frost, Michael Hibberd, Mitch Hannan, Nathan Jones, Angus Brayshaw, Jake Melksham, Tom McDonald, James Harmes, Aaron vandenBerg, Sam Weideman, Alex Neal-Bullen, Max Gawn, Clayton Oliver, Jack Viney. I/C: Christian Petracca, Charlie Spargo, Dom Tyson, Joel Smith. Emergencies: Jay Kennedy-Harris, Jayden Hunt, Bayley Fritsch, Timothy Smith.