Carlton faces the most difficult selection calls of any of this year’s preliminary finalists.
Plus key position players at the Lions and Giants face a race against time ahead of this week’s clashes.
Get all the latest selection news in AFL Team Tips!
Watch every match of the 2023 Toyota AFL Finals Series before the Grand Final Live & Ad-Break Free During Play on Kayo Sports. Join now and start streaming instantly >
RIP Ron Barassi | 03:51
PRELIMINARY FINALS TEAMS (all times AEST)
COLLINGWOOD v GWS GIANTS
Friday September 22, 7:50pm at the MCG
MAGPIES
B: N.Murphy, D.Moore, I.Quaynor
HB: B.Maynard, O.Markov, S.Pendlebury
C: S.Sidebottom, T.Adams, J.Daicos
HF: B.Hill, B.Mihocek, J.Howe
F: J.Elliott, D.McStay, J.De Goey
FOLL: M.Cox, B.McCreery, J.Crisp
I/C: P.Lipinski, T.Mitchell, D.Cameron, W.Hoskin-Elliott
EMG: J.Noble, F.Macrae, B.Frampton
In: Moore, Murphy, McCreery
Out: Ginnivan (sub), Frampton, Macrae, Noble (all omitted)
Team Tips: Taylor Adams will come out of the side and Nick Daicos will come in following the former’s hamstring strain and the latter being cleared to return after an injury-enforced absence since round 21. The silver lining for Adams is that his strain is minimal, leaving the door ajar for a potential return in the grand final should the Pies progress that far. Darcy Moore will play despite managing a hand issue.
GIANTS
B: Buckley, Taylor, Idun
HB: Ash, Himmelberg, Whitfield
C: Callaghan, Green, Kelly
HF: Bedford, Riccardi, Daniels
F: Lloyd, Hogan, Greene
FOL: Briggs, Ward, Coniglio
I/C: Cumming, Perryman, Keeffe Brown
EMG: Haynes, Angwin, O’Halloran, Preuss
IN: Coniglio
OUT: O’Halloran (sub), Haynes (omitted)
Team Tips: All eyes will be on ruckman Kieren Briggs this week after he could barely lift his left arm following Saturday’s win over Port Adelaide. Briggs returned to play despite the shoulder injury in the third quarter, but trained away from the main group on Monday in an effort to recover. The Giants remain confident Briggs will take his place in the side despite a five-day break. If Briggs fails to get up, Braydon Preuss was listed in an emergency and is waiting in the wings for his first senior game of the season. Matt Flynn is another option for the Giants, who are well stocked in the talls department. Callan Ward was another who was battered and bruised but is not expected to miss as a result.
Did I expect to make a Prelim? No!’ | 09:56
BRISBANE LIONS v CARLTON
Saturday September 23, 5:15pm at the Gabba
BLUES
B: Kemp, Weitering, Newman
HB: Cincotta, McGovern, Saad
C: Acres, Cripps, Cottrell
HF: Docherty, De Koning, Owies
F: Fogarty, Curnow, Motlop
FOL: Pittonet, Cerra, Walsh
I/C: Marchbank, Hewett, Cunningham, Kennedy
EMG: Dow, Hollands, Fisher, Durdin
IN: Kennedy
OUT: Martin (suspension), McKay (injured)
Team Tips: It will be a tough selection committee for the Blues this week, with Harry McKay and Jack Martin certain inclusions from injury and suspension respectively. Michael Voss would be loathe to make too many changes to a winning formula, so Jack Silvagni will once again likely be left out of the starting 22. Eric Hipwood is a likely matchup for Caleb Marchbank, which could mean Brodie Kemp is one of the unlucky outs, likely between him and Alex Cincotta. The Blues have the toughest calls at selection to make of any team this week. Sam Docherty and Blake Acres were sore after a bruising encounter on Friday night, but both are still expected to be lining up on Saturday evening.
LIONS
B: B.Starcevich, H.Andrews (c), J.Payne
HB: M.McKenna, R.Lester, K.Coleman
C: H.McCluggage, J.Dunkley, D.Zorko
HF: C.Cameron, E.Hipwood, C.Ah Chee
F: C.Rayner, J.Daniher, Z.Bailey
FOLL: O.McInerney, L.Neale, J.Berry
I/C: D.Robertsob, L.McCarthy, J.Fletcher, D.Wilmot
EMG: K.Lohmann, J.Lyons, D.Gardiner, D.Fort
In: L.McCarthy
Out: J.Lyons (sub), K.Lohmann (omitted)
Team Tips: Jack Payne didn’t train last week due to an ankle injury that at one stage had him in a moonboot. Training on Tuesday will prove telling in how he is tracking, but he would be a huge out given the return of Harry McKay for the Blues. Darcy Gardiner has played just two senior games this season but was held out of the VFL game on the weekend in case Payne is unable to get up. Jack Gunston has worked himself back to full fitness, but he may be an unlucky spectator given the effectiveness of the side’s forward line in recent weeks and more importantly in the qualifying final win over Port Adelaide.
