- Daniel Wells rushed back and Michael Rischitelli returns

- Matthew Boyd, Jobe Watson and Scott Thompson all out

- Three big stars return for Giants' big clash with Sydney

UNDER-pressure coaches Nathan Buckley and Rodney Eade have turned to star power ahead of the Collingwood and Gold Coast clash on Saturday, recalling a host of big names for the meeting.

The Pies have named high-profile recruit Daniel Wells in a bid to get back to their winning ways, alongside star defender Jeremy Howe, premiership forward Jarryd Blair and marking goalkicker Darcy Moore.

And the Suns will have champion onballer Gary Ablett back for the clash after a quicker than expected recovery from a hamstring strain, while Michael Rischitelli, Pearce Hanley and Aaron Hall are also back. It will be Rischitelli's first game since last year after a knee reconstruction.

In other significant news from the round 17 teams, Western Bulldogs skipper Bob Murphy is set to return after a hamstring injury, and key Bomber Jobe Watson will miss.

Check out all the round 17 teams

Ryan Davis, Jesse Lonergan, Brayden Fiorini and Darcy Macpherson are out for the Suns, while the Pies have dropped Tim Broomhead, Josh Smith and Mason Cox alongside the suspended Levi Greenwood.

Greater Western Sydney has been bolstered by the return of three stars for its huge clash with cross-town rivals Sydney on Saturday night.

The news is good for the Giants, with brilliant forward pair Toby Greene and Steve Johnson back alongside running defender Zac Williams for the meeting at Spotless Stadium. They have replaced Sam Reid (ankle), and omitted duo Daniel Lloyd and Tendai Mzungu.

The Swans have also received a boost with captain Josh Kennedy returning. First-year midfielder Oliver Florent has made way for the brilliant midfielder.

Former Essendon skipper Watson has been rested for Friday night's clash with St Kilda despite playing one of his best games of the season last week against Collingwood. He has been replaced by Craig Bird, who will play his first senior game of the season.

The Saints have blooded debutant Josh Battle and brought back Tom Hickey, with Billy Longer (hamstring) and Tim Membrey (suspension) ruled out.

Scott Selwood and Daniel Menzel are back for the Cats ahead of Saturday's clash with Hawthorn, coming in for first-year pair Wylie Buzza and Zach Guthrie. Hawthorn is unchanged from the side that drew with GWS last week.

Port Adelaide has replaced Jack Hombsch with Logan Austin for its Saturday afternoon meeting with North Melbourne at Adelaide Oval.

Trent Dumont has been dropped by the Roos for first-gamer Cameron Zurhaar.

Jay Kennedy-Harris is back for the Demons' important match with Adelaide in Darwin for the dropped Billy Stretch, while Tom Lynch and Hugh Greenwood have returned for the Crows.

Veteran midfielder Scott Thompson has been dropped and Wayne Milera will miss with a calf injury.

Nick Vlastuin will return for the Tigers for their Etihad Stadium clash with the Brisbane Lions on Sunday.

Richmond has dropped Taylor Hunt and Tyson Stengle, with Vlastuin a guaranteed inclusion, and Anthony Miles, Shai Bolton, Nathan Broad and Ivan Soldo named on the extended.

No.2 draft pick Josh Schache will return for the Lions after booting five goals last week. He and Ben Keays have been named in the 18.

Possible debutant Jacob Allison, a midfielder from the club's Queensland academy, is among the additions to the extended squad along with Cedric Cox, Michael Close and Jake Barrett. Matt Hammelmann, Rohan Bewick and Archie Smith all dropped.

Western Bulldogs skipper Bob Murphy is back for Sunday's clash with the Blues at Etihad Stadium after missing last week's loss to Adelaide with a hamstring complaint.

Premiership pair Shane Biggs is also back, with Lewis Young to make his debut. Tory Dickson is on the extended alongside Bailey Williams and another possible first-gamer in Declan Hamilton.

Veteran Matthew Boyd will miss with an Achilles injury, joining Easton Wood (suspension) and Clay Smith (dropped) in the outer.

Defender Alex Silvagni is back for the Blues with Irishman Ciaran Byrne, while Dylan Buckley, Blaine Boekhorst, Nick Graham and Liam Sumner are in the extended squad.

Simon White (knee) and Patrick Cripps (leg) will miss with injury, with Harrison Macreadie left out.

David Mundy is back for the Dockers in Sunday's local derby with West Coast, with Lee Spurr. Sam Collins and Josh Deluca are also in the extended squad.

The Eagles have named key forward Josh Kennedy and Will Schofield after injury absences, and dropped Sharrod Wellingham. Chris Masten, Jack Redden, Tom Cole and Jackson Nelson are in the 25-man squad. Defender Eric McKenzie is out with a hamstring injury.

Friday, July 14

St Kilda v Essendon at Etihad Stadium, 7.50pm AEST

ST KILDA

In: T.Hickey, J.Battle

Out: B.Longer (hamstring), T.Membrey (suspended)

New: Josh Battle (Dandenong U18)

ESSENDON

In: C.Bird

Out: J.Watson (rested)

Saturday, July 15

Geelong v Hawthorn at the MCG, 1.45pm AEST

GEELONG

In: S.Selwood, D.Menzel

Out: W.Buzza, Z.Guthrie

HAWTHORN

No change

Port Adelaide v North Melbourne at Adelaide Oval, 1.40pm ACST

PORT ADELAIDE

In: L.Austin

Out: J.Hombsch

NORTH MELBOURNE

In: C.Zurhaar

Out: T.Dumont

New: Cameron Zurhaar (East Fremantle)

Gold Coast v Collingwood at Metricon Stadium, 4.35pm AEST

GOLD COAST

In: G.Ablett, M.Rischitelli, P.Hanley, A.Hall

Out: R.Davis, J.Lonergan, B.Fiorini, D.Macpherson

COLLINGWOOD

In: D.Wells, J.Blair, J.Howe, D.Moore

Out: L.Greenwood (suspension), T.Broomhead, J.Smith, M.Cox

Melbourne v Adelaide at TIO Stadium, Darwin at 7.10pm ACST

MELBOURNE

In: J.Kennedy-Harris

Out: B.Stretch

ADELAIDE

In: T.Lynch, H.Greenwood

Out: S.Thompson, W.Milera (calf)

Greater Western Sydney v Sydney at Spotless Stadium, 7.25pm AEST

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

In: T.Greene, S.Johnson, Z.Williams

Out: S.Reid (ankle), D.Lloyd, T.Mzungu

SYDNEY

In: J.Kennedy

Out: O.Florent

Sunday, July 16

Richmond v Brisbane Lions at Etihad Stadium, 1.10pm AEST

RICHMOND

In: N.Vlastuin, A.Miles, S.Bolton, N.Broad, I.Soldo

Out: T.Hunt, T.Stengle

BRISBANE LIONS

In: B.Keays, J.Schache, C.Cox, M.Close, J.Allison, J.Barrett

Out: M.Hammelmann, R.Bewick, A.Smith

New: Jacob Allison (Aspley)

Carlton v Western Bulldogs at the MCG, 3.20pm AEST

CARLTON

In: A.Silvagni, D.Buckley, C.Byrne, B.Boekhorst, N.Graham, L.Sumner

Out: S.White (knee), P.Cripps (leg), H.Macreadie

WESTERN BULLDOGS

In:R.Murphy, S.Biggs, T.Dickson, D.Hamilton, B.Williams, L.Young

Out: M.Boyd (Achilles), E.Wood (suspension), C.Smith

New: Declan Hamilton (Port Adelaide SANFL), Lewis Young (Sturt)

Fremantle v West Coast at Domain Stadium, 2.40pm AWST

FREMANTLE

In: D.Mundy, L.Spurr, S.Collins, J.Deluca

Out: T.Sheridan (hamstring)

WEST COAST

In: J.Kennedy, W.Schofield, C.Masten, J.Redden, J.Nelson, T.Cole

Out: E.Mackenzie (hamstring), S.Wellingham, M.Karpany (quad)