- Kangaroos lose patience with out-of-form Todd Goldstein

- Gary Ablett to miss again with recurrent hamstring problem

- Forgotten Dee Jack Trengove in for fourth game in two years

NORTH Melbourne has swung the axe after six straight losses, dropping experienced pair Todd Goldstein and Lindsay Thomas ahead of the Roos' clash with Essendon on Saturday.

Goldstein, an All Australian in 2015, has paid the price for his underwhelming season while Thomas has also been cut after struggling to adapt to a new role in defence.

Captain Jack Ziebell (managed), Mitch Hibberd (shoulder) and Corey Wagner (ankle) will also miss the Etihad Stadium contest, and have been replaced by key forward Jarrad Waite, Trent Dumont, Sam Durdin, Ryan Clarke and debutant Nick Larkey.

Essendon will regain former skipper Jobe Watson and has included Jayden Laverde for his first game of the season, with Craig Bird (omitted) and Josh Green (hamstring) making way.

Check out the full round 18 teams

Adelaide has made one change for its Friday night blockbuster with Geelong, with debutant Alex Keath replacing injured backman Jake Lever.

Scott Selwood and Tom Stewart have come in for the Cats at the expense of Brandan Parfitt (hamstring) and Sam Simpson (omitted). Andrew Mackie has not been recalled after being a late withdrawal last week with a wrist injury.

Both Patrick Dangerfield (ankle) and Rory Sloane (concussion) have been named.

Port Adelaide has dropped running defender Jasper Pittard for the second time this year and replaced him with Matthew Broadbent for the Power's clash with Melbourne at the MCG on Saturday.

The Demons have been boosted by the return of Jack Watts, Dom Tyson, Jack Viney and Christian Salem, while Trengove is also one of five inclusions for the vital contest.

Bernie Vince's suspension rules him out, while Simon Goodwin and his coaching panel have dropped Cam Pedersen, Josh Wagner and Joel Smith, and Dean Kent will miss with a shoulder issue.

As flagged, the Western Bulldogs have replaced forward Jake Stringer (hamstring) with premiership skipper Easton Wood for their clash with Gold Coast in Cairns on Saturday.

Ablett will miss with another hamstring complaint, joining Jarryd Lyons (ankle) and Steven May (hamstring) as key outs for the Suns. Jesse Lonergan, Brayden Fiorini and debutant Jack Scrimshaw come into Rodney Eade's side.

The Saints have reacted to last week's poor loss to Essendon, dropping Tom Hickey, Daniel McKenzie, Ben Long and Josh Battle for Saturday night's clash with Sydney at the SCG.

Sam Gilbert is also out as he nurses as a hand injury, but ruckman Billy Longer is an important inclusion, while Jimmy Webster, Luke Dunstan and Blake Acres have been recalled and Rowan Marshall will make his debut.

Sam Reid's groin injury has opened the door for Callum Sinclair to return to the Swans' line-up in Sydney's only change.

Fremantle forward Cameron McCarthy is back from suspension for the Dockers in their Domain Stadium meeting with Hawthorn, joining Josh Deluca as inclusions to the side that was comfortably defeated in last week's derby.

Youngsters Brennan Cox and Luke Ryan have been left out for the Dockers for breaching the club's alcohol policy, while the Hawks have also dropped two youngsters in Kurt Heatherley and Kade Stewart. They make way for Brendan Whitecross and Irishman Conor Glass for his first AFL game.

Richmond has added Shai Bolton, Oleg Markov and Corey Ellis to its 25-man squad ahead of Sunday's meeting with Greater Western Sydney at the MCG.

Coniglio's return is a boost for the Giants, having not played since he suffered a recurrence of his ankle injury in round eight. Will Setterfield and Isaac Cumming have also been added to the Giants' squad in what would be the pair's first AFL games.

West Coast has brought Elliot Yeo back for Sunday's trip to Melbourne to face Collingwood at Etihad Stadium. Chris Masten has been left out again, while Fraser McInnes, Malcolm Karpany and Tom Cole are all on the extended bench.

The Magpies lose captain Scott Pendlebury with his finger injury, but have recalled Levi Greenwood from suspension. Rupert Wills has also been named in the 18, with Tom Phillips and Mason Cox on the extended bench as the club looks to back up its win over the Suns last week.

Brisbane Lions defender Darcy Gardiner will return from two weeks out with an elbow injury to face Carlton on Sunday, while Marco Paparone, Michael Close and Jake Barrett have been named on the extended bench. The suspended Nick Robertson is the only out at this stage.

Carlton will make at least four changes, losing Alex Silvagni (knee), Dylan Buckley (hamstring) and Ciaran Byrne (groin) to injury and dropping Liam Sumner.

Magpies premiership player Dale Thomas will return to the side along with Tom Williamson, with Dennis Armfield, Billie Smedts, David Cuningham, Harrison Macreadie and potential debutant Harry McKay named on the extended bench.

Friday, July 21

Adelaide v Geelong at Adelaide Oval, 7.20pm ACST

ADELAIDE

In: A.Keath

Out: J.Lever (hamstring)

New: Alex Keath (Murray U18)

GEELONG

In: S.Selwood, T.Stewart

Out: B.Parfitt (hamstring), S.Simpson

Saturday, July 22

Essendon v North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium, 1.45pm AEST

ESSENDON

In: J.Watson, J.Laverde

Out: C.Bird, J.Green (hamstring)

NORTH MELBOURNE

In: J.Waite, T.Dumont, S.Durdin, R.Clarke, N.Larkey

Out: L.Thomas, T.Goldstein, J.Ziebell (managed), M.Hibberd (shoulder), C.Wagner (ankle)

New: Nick Larkey (Oakleigh U18)

Melbourne v Port Adelaide at the MCG, 2.10pm AEST

MELBOURNE

In: J.Trengove, J.Watts, D.Tyson, J.Viney, C.Salem

Out: B.Vince (suspension), C.Pedersen, D.Kent (shoulder), J.Wagner, J.Smith

PORT ADELAIDE

In: M.Broadbent

Out: J.Pittard

Western Bulldogs v Gold Coast at Cazaly's Stadium (Cairns), 4.35pm AEST

WESTERN BULLDOGS

In: E.Wood

Out: J.Stringer (hamstring)

GOLD COAST

In:J.Lonergan, B.Fiorini, J.Scrimshaw

Out: G.Ablett (hamstring), S.May (hamstring), J.Lyons (ankle)

New: Jack Scrimshaw (Sandringham U18)

Sydney Swans v St Kilda at the SCG, 7.25pm AEST

SYDNEY SWANS

In: C.Sinclair

Out: S.Reid (groin)

ST KILDA

In: J.Webster, B.Longer, L.Dunstan, B.Acres, R.Marshall

Out: S.Gilbert (hand), T.Hickey, D.McKenzie, B.Long, J.Battle

New: Rowan Marshall (North Ballarat VFL)

Fremantle v Hawthorn at Domain Stadium, 5.40pm AWST

FREMANTLE

In: J.Deluca, C.McCarthy

Out: B.Cox, L.Ryan

HAWTHORN

In: B.Whitecross, C.Glass

Out: K.Heatherley, K.Stewart

New: Conor Glass (County Derry, Ireland)

Sunday, July 23

Richmond v Greater Western Sydney at the MCG, 1.10pm AEST

RICHMOND

In: S.Bolton, O.Markov, C.Ellis

Out: -

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

In: S.Coniglio, I.Cumming, W.Setterfield

Out: -

New: Isaac Cumming (North Broken Hill), Will Setterfield (Sandringham U18)

Collingwood v West Coast at Etihad Stadium, 3.20pm AEST

COLLINGWOOD

In: L.Greenwood, T.Phillips, M.Cox, R.Wills

Out: S.Pendlebury (finger)

WEST COAST

In: F.McInnes, E.Yeo, M.Karpany, T.Cole

Out: C.Masten

Brisbane Lions v Carlton at the Gabba, 4.40pm AEST

BRISBANE LIONS

In: D.Gardiner, M.Paparone, M.Close, J.Barrett

Out: N.Robertson (suspension)

CARLTON

In: D.Thomas, D.Armfield, B.Smedts, D.Cuningham, T.Williamson, H.Macreadie, H.McKay

Out: A.Silvagni (knee), D.Buckley (hamstring), L.Sumner, C.Byrne (groin)

New: Harry McKay (Gippsland U18)