- Stevie J, Rory Lobb return as Giants load up for finals

- Cats bring in Tom Hawkins and Mark Blicavs for big clash

- Farewells for Lachie Hansen, Dennis Armfield, Matthew Boyd

GEELONG and Greater Western Sydney have been boosted by key inclusions ahead of Saturday's vital clash at Simonds Stadium, with the winner to seal a home qualifying final.

In other major team news for the final round of the home and away season, Gold Coast recalled Gary Ablett and then withdrew him, Jack Watts is back for the Demons, Fremantle has dropped Cam McCarthy, and a host of veterans are in for potential farewells.

Having confirmed their place in the top-four last week, the Cats are going all out to host a home final in week one of September, bringing back Mark Blicavs from an ankle injury alongside the returning Tom Hawkins from suspension. Youngster Brandan Parfitt will also face the Giants.

Jackson Thurlow, Zach Guthrie and Sam Simpson have been dropped.

Check out the full round 23 teams

The Giants have also been bolstered, with Rory Lobb selected and former Cat Steve Johnson coming into their forward line. Matt de Boer and Harrison Himmelberg have made way for the pair.

Sydney has received a blow in its bid to snatch a top-four spot, losing vital midfielder Dan Hannebery (hip) and Tom Papley (knee) for Saturday's meeting with the Blues. Nic Newman and Harry Cunningham have been brought in.

A shoulder problem will mean Jack Silvagni will miss the SCG clash for Carlton, but his injury has opened the door for Dennis Armfield to return for a final game before retiring.

The Western Bulldogs will blood debutant Patrick Lipinski in Friday night's clash with Hawthorn, and have also picked the retiring Matthew Boyd for a likely farewell game.

Ruckman Tom Campbell is also in, with Travis Cloke (general soreness), Jake Stringer (hamstring) and Tory Dickson (omitted) making way.

Hawthorn loses NAB AFL Rising Star fancy Ryan Burton (foot) and Ricky Henderson (back) to injury, while Liam Shiels and debutant Harry Morrison are in.

The Brisbane Lions will go in unchanged for Saturday's battle of the wooden spoon at the Gabba, despite some fitness doubts on star midfielder Dayne Zorko.

However, their opponents North Melbourne have made five changes, with skipper Jack Ziebell (foot) among the outs. Taylor Garner (foot), Daniel Nielson (concussion) and Braydon Preuss (shoulder) are the other forced changes, while Cam Zurhaar has been cut.

Lachie Hansen has been recalled for what is likely to be his final game for the club, while fellow veteran Lindsay Thomas, Aaron Mullett, Jed Anderson and first-gamer Ben McKay are also in as the Roos attempt to avoid claiming their first ever No.1 pick.

Watts and Christian Salem are back for the Demons after being recently sent to the VFL to find form and will line-up against Collingwood on Saturday. Josh Wagner and Billy Stretch have been omitted.

As expected, Tyson Goldsack and Brodie Grundy are the only inclusions for the Magpies, who have dropped premiership forward Jarryd Blair and youngster Josh Smith.

Ablett was originally named as one of four inclusions for the Suns ahead of Saturday night's clash with Port Adelaide after missing the past two weeks with a hamstring injury.

But the Suns later withdrew the dual Brownlow medallist after he failed a fitness test.

Jack Bowes was also withdrawn after initially being named in the squad with the Suns eventually settling on three changes.

Jarryd Lyons returns, while youngsters Will Brodie and Brad Scheer have also been inlcuded in place of Jesse Lonergan, Jack Leslie and Josh Schoenfeld have all been cut.

Jasper Pittard returns to take the place of suspended defender Tom Jonas as the only change for Port Adelaide.

Richmond has added Jayden Short, Sam Lloyd and Connor Menadue to its extended squad to face St Kilda at the MCG on Sunday as Damien Hardwick's men aim to seal their top-four position.

An abdominal strain has ruled out Saint Sam Gilbert in Nick Riewoldt's likely final game, but St Kilda has brought in Daniel McKenzie, Jack Lonie, Brandon White and Bailey Rice in their 25-man squad.

It would be a debut for Rice, whose father Dean played with the Saints and Carlton, if he gets selected in the final 22. All of the inclusions have been named on the extended bench.

Jobe Watson is set to return for what could be his final game in Melbourne as Essendon prepares to confirm its return to the finals with a win over Fremantle on Sunday.

Watson missed last week's win over Gold Coast with soreness, while Heath Hocking, Shaun McKernan, Travis Colyer and Kyle Langford are in the Bombers' extended squad, with all five inclusions on the extended bench.

Josh Green will miss the rest of the season with his foot fracture while Craig Bird has been dropped.

For Fremantle, McCarthy has paid a price for his poor form by being left out for the Dockers' final game, while Ryan Nyhuis (omitted) and Sean Darcy (suspended) are also out.

The returning Lachie Neale provides a big boost to Fremantle's midfield, with he, Jon Griffin and Shane Kersten named in the 18, and Danyle Pearce, Tom Sheridan and Sam Collins in the extended squad.

The Eagles have recalled Mark LeCras for their final hurrah against Adelaide, where a win could see them finish in the top-eight. Will Schofield, Jackson Nelson and Jake Waterman are also in the squad of 25, while Josh Hill has been dropped. Only LeCras is in the starting lineup.

Adelaide has added Kyle Hartigan, Paul Seedsman and Wayne Milera to its squad in the final game of the home and away season, with the trio named on the extended bench.

Friday, August 25

Hawthorn v Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium, 7.50pm AEST

HAWTHORN

In: L.Shiels, H.Morrison

Out: R.Henderson (back), R.Burton (foot)

New: Harry Morrison (Murray U18)

WESTERN BULLDOGS

In: P.Lipinski, T.Campbell, M.Boyd

Out: T.Cloke (general soreness), J.Stringer (hamstring), T.Dickson

New: Patrick Lipinski (Northern U18)

Saturday, August 26

Collingwood v Melbourne at the MCG, 1.45pm AEST

COLLINGWOOD

In: T.Goldsack, B.Grundy

Out: J.Blair, J.Smith

MELBOURNE

In:J.Watts, C.Salem

Out: J.Wagner, B.Stretch

Brisbane Lions v North Melbourne at the Gabba, 2.10pm AEST

BRISBANE LIONS

No change

NORTH MELBOURNE

In: L.Hansen, L.Thomas, A.Mullett, J.Anderson, B.McKay

Out: J.Ziebell (foot), T.Garner (foot), D.Nielson (concussion), B.Preuss (shoulder), C.Zurhaar

New: Ben McKay (Gippsland U18)

Sydney v Carlton at the SCG, 4.35pm AEST

SYDNEY

In: N.Newman, H.Cunningham

Out: D.Hannebery (hip), T.Papley (knee)

CARLTON

In: D.Armfield

Out: J.Silvagni (shoulder)

Geelong v Greater Western Sydney at Simonds Stadium, 7.25pm AEST

GEELONG

In: T.Hawkins, M.Blicavs, B.Parfitt

Out: J.Thurlow, Z.Guthrie, S.Simpson

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

In: S.Johnson, R.Lobb

Out: M.de Boer, H.Himmelberg

Port Adelaide v Gold Coast at Adelaide Oval, 7.10pm ACST

PORT ADELAIDE

In: J.Pittard

Out: T.Jonas (suspended)

GOLD COAST

In: B.Scheer, J.Lyons, W.Brodie

Out: J.Lonergan, J.Leslie, J.Schoenfeld

Sunday, August 27

Essendon v Fremantle at Etihad Stadium, 1.10pm AEST

ESSENDON

In: J.Watson, H.Hocking, S.McKernan, T.Colyer, K.Langford

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

FREMANTLE

In: D.Pearce, J.Griffin, T.Sheridan, S.Kersten, L.Neale, S.Collins

Out: R.Nyhuis, C.McCarthy, S.Darcy (suspension)

Richmond v St Kilda at the MCG, 3.20pm AEST

RICHMOND

In: J.Short, S.Lloyd, C.Menadue

Out: -

ST KILDA

In: D.McKenzie, J.Lonie, B.White, B.Rice

Out: S.Gilbert (abdominal strain)

New: Bailey Rice (Dandenong U18)

West Coast v Adelaide at Domain Stadium, 2.20pm AWST

WEST COAST

In: M.LeCras, W.Schofield, J.Nelson, J.Waterman

Out: J.Hill

New: Jake Waterman (Claremont)

ADELAIDE

In: K.Hartigan, P.Seedsman, W.Milera

Out: -