GREATER Western Sydney midfield star Josh Kelly's injury absence this weekend has soured the return of Toby Greene and Ryan Griffen.

The news comes as several big names prepare for their first match this year, including West Coast's dual Coleman medallist Josh Kennedy, Tiger Dion Prestia and Collingwood's Jordan De Goey.

Kelly (groin) will miss the Giants' round four clash with Fremantle in Canberra on Saturday, along with ruckman Rory Lobb (knee) and omitted defender Harry Perryman.

ALL THE TEAMS: Check them out

Greene, who missed two matches with a hamstring issue, helps offset that, while Griffen will make his season debut and journeyman Dawson Simpson will take over the ruck duties.

The Dockers are unchanged as they seek a third win on the trot.

Adelaide has brought back exciting key forward Darcy Fogarty at injured rookie Lachlan Murphy's expense as the Crows prepare to welcome Collingwood to town on Friday night.

Magpie Jordan De Goey will play his first match for the year after a hamstring setback and club suspension for drink-driving.

De Goey comes in for Taylor Adams, who hurt his hamstring at training during the week.

Richmond has flexed its muscles after Sunday's impressive victory over Hawthorn, adding premiership duo Josh Caddy (suspension) and Dion Prestia (glute) to face Brisbane on Saturday at the MCG.

The Tigers omitted Sam Lloyd and Jack Higgins, after his two-goal debut.

The Lions also have a pair of inclusions, with captain Dayne Beams back from illness and last year's No.15 draft pick Zac Bailey, a midfield dasher from Darwin, set to make his senior debut.

Cedric Cox and Ryan Lester make way for the pair.

The big stage awaits! pic.twitter.com/NN1Gq3oLQy — Brisbane Lions (@brisbanelions) April 12, 2018

Sydney made three forced changes for its Etihad Stadium showdown with the Western Bulldogs.

Swans forward Sam Reid is likely to be out for at least eight weeks with a quad injury, while Lewis Melican (hamstring) and Gary Rohan (personal reasons) are also out.

Forgotten defender Aliir Aliir is in for his first AFL match since round four last year, joining Zak Jones and Nic Newman as the trio's replacements.

The Bulldogs recalled Shane Biggs to replace the suspended Zaine Cordy.

Carlton swung the axe as it searches for a winning formula, dropping Jed Lamb and Cameron Polson for its must-win match with North Melbourne at Hobart's Blundstone Arena.

Defender Caleb Marchbank (ankle) is the third out, with the Blues confirming during the week that he will miss the next month.

Cam O'Shea is Marchbank's natural substitute down back, while Jack Silvagni has received a reprieve and top-10 selection Lochie O'Brien will make his debut.

As expected, Robbie Tarrant (hamstring) comes in for the Roos, who lost Nathan Hrovat after he sustained a fractured thumb at training on Wednesday.

Kennedy's return highlights West Coast's selection moves, but Liam Duggan is also back for the Eagles' Optus Stadium encounter with Gold Coast.

Mark Hutchings (omitted) and Liam Ryan (ankle) make way for West Coast.

Jack Bowes returns from suspension for the Suns, who have lost Pearce Hanley (shoulder) potentially for an extended period.

Sam Powell-Pepper is the sole confirmed change for unbeaten ladder-leader Port Adelaide as the fallout from his alcohol-fuelled night out last weekend begins.

The Power's leadership group slapped the second-year midfield brute with a one-match ban, with a League investigation continuing into an alleged incident on the same night.

Karl Amon, Joe Atley, Jarrod Lienert, Trent McKenzie and Jake Neade are the potential additions.

Port Adelaide plays at Etihad Stadium on Sunday against Essendon, which lost Irishman Conor McKenna to suspension after his controversial biting incident.

Matt Guelfi, Michael Hartley, Kyle Langford, Shaun McKernan and Jackson Merrett could come in for the Bombers.

Kaiden Brand and Will Langford paid the price for Hawthorn's defeat to Richmond and won't play against Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday.

James Sicily returns from suspension and Conor Glass, James Cousins, Brendan Whitecross and untried pair David Mirra and Mitchell Lewis are other options.

The Demons will be without midfielder Dom Tyson (illness), with Jayden Hunt, Angus Brayshaw – still yet to play this year – Billy Stretch, Mitch Hannan and Sam Weideman jockeying for a spot.

St Kilda is expected to make at least three changes for its game against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium, with two of them already locked in.

AFL.com.au reported earlier on Thursday that Jimmy Webster (hip) would miss the game and that Josh Bruce has been dropped.

The Saints have not confirmed the Bruce news yet, but Webster is out and Nathan Wright was dropped.

Sam Gilbert, Jack Lonie, ex-Power recruit Logan Austin, Jack Steele, Hunter Clark and Tom Hickey are in line for a recall.

The Cats were always going to be busy after losing Gary Ablett (hamstring), Cam Guthrie (ankle) and Nakia Cockatoo (knee) in a costly trip west on Sunday.

Star onballer Mitch Duncan is among the potential replacements, including Rhys Stanley, Charlie Constable, Jordan Cunico, Jordan Murdoch, Zac Smith and Jackson Thurlow.

Friday, April 13

Adelaide v Collingwood at Adelaide Oval, 7.20pm ACST

ADELAIDE

In: D.Fogarty

Out: L.Murphy (hamstring)

COLLINGWOOD

In: J.De Goey

Out: T.Adams (hamstring)

Saturday, April 14

Greater Western Sydney v Fremantle at UNSW Stadium (Canberra), 1.45pm AEST

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

In: T.Greene, D.Simpson, R.Griffen

Out: R.Lobb (knee), J.Kelly (groin), H.Perryman

FREMANTLE

No changes

Richmond v Brisbane at the MCG, 2.10pm AEST

RICHMOND

In: J.Caddy, D.Prestia

Out: S.Lloyd, J.Higgins

BRISBANE

In: D.Beams, Z.Bailey

Out: C.Cox, R.Lester

New: Zac Bailey (Norwood)

Western Bulldogs v Sydney at Etihad Stadium, 4.35pm AEST

WESTERN BULLDOGS

In: S.Biggs

Out: Z.Cordy (suspension)

SYDNEY

In: A.Aliir, Z.Jones, N.Newman

Out: S.Reid (quad), L.Melican (hamstring), G.Rohan (personal)

North Melbourne v Carlton at Blundstone Arena (Hobart), 7.25pm AEST

NORTH MELBOURNE

In: R.Tarrant

Out: N.Hrovat (thumb)

CARLTON

In: C.O'Shea, J.Silvagni, L.O'Brien

Out: C.Marchbank (ankle), C.Polson, J.Lamb

New: Lochie O'Brien (Bendigo U18)

West Coast v Gold Coast at Optus Stadium, 6.10pm AWST

WEST COAST

In: J.Kennedy, L.Duggan

Out: M.Hutchings, L.Ryan (ankle)

GOLD COAST

In: J.Bowes

Out: P.Hanley (shoulder)

Sunday, April 15

Essendon v Port Adelaide at Etihad Stadium, 1.10pm AEST

ESSENDON

In: M.Guelfi, M.Hartley, K.Langford, S.McKernan, J.Merrett

Out: C.McKenna (suspension)

New: Matt Guelfi (Claremont)

PORT ADELAIDE

In: K.Amon, J.Atley, J.Lienert, T.McKenzie, J.Neade

Out: S.Powell-Pepper (club suspension)

New: Jarrod Lienert (Sturt), Trent McKenzie (Gold Coast)

Hawthorn v Melbourne at the MCG, 3.20pm AEST

HAWTHORN

In: C.Glass, J.Sicily, J.Cousins, B.Whitecross, D.Mirra, M.Lewis

Out: K.Brand, W.Langford

New: David Mirra (Box Hill), Mitchell Lewis (Calder U18)

MELBOURNE

In: A.Brayshaw, B.Stretch, M.Hannan, J.Hunt, S.Weideman

Out: D.Tyson (illness)

Geelong v St Kilda at GMHBA Stadium, 4.40pm AEST

GEELONG

In: R.Stanley, C.Constable, J.Cunico, M.Duncan, J.Murdoch, Z.Smith, J.Thurlow

Out: N.Cockatoo (knee), C.Guthrie (ankle), G.Ablett (hamstring)

New: Charlie Constable (Sandringham U18)

ST KILDA

In: S.Gilbert, J.Lonie, L.Austin, J.Steele, H.Clark, T.Hickey

Out: J.Webster (hip), N.Wright

New: Logan Austin (Port Adelaide)