Melbourne remains confident stars Max Gawn and Clayton Oliver will be fit to play as it looks to make another two forced changes.

Meanwhile, the Blues are preparing to make two forced changes of their own, the Giants are set to welcome back their former captain and the Power are dealing with an injury crisis at the wrong time of year.

Get all the latest team news and updates ahead of the second week of finals.

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TRIBUNAL LIVE: How ‘seismic’ AFL case will play out

MELBOURNE VS CARLTON

DEES’ Qualifying Final Team

B: M. Hibberd, S. May, J. Smith

HB: J. McVee, J. Lever, C. Salem

C: T. Rivers, J. Viney, E Langdon

HF: L. Hunter, B. Fritsch, A. Neal-Bullen

F: K. Pickett, J. van Rooyen, A. Brayshaw

Foll: M. Gawn, C. Oliver, C. Petracca

IC: J. Bowy, T. McDonald, T. Sparrow, K. Chandler

Sub: B. Laurie

Team Tips

The Demons will be forced into at least two changes for their cut throat semi-final against the Blues with Jacob van Rooyen to miss through suspension and Angus Brayshaw through concussion.

The van Rooyen absence further exacerbates Melbourne’s forward line issues which could force the Demons to recalling exiled recruit Brodie Grundy, especially after James Harmes failed to finish a scratch match on Friday.

Ben Brown trained fully on Tuesday after being restricted by a knee problem for the last fortnight, while Josh Schache is also available.

Star skipper Max Gawn is nursing a broken bone in his toe, as reported by Nine’s Sam McClure and SEN’s Sam Edmund, but is expected to take his place on Friday night, as is Clayton Oliver who is nursing a sore knee.

James Jordon appears the one most likely to come in for Brayshaw with 17 appearances to his name this season. Daniel Turner played round 24 against the Swans before making way for the Final and could come straight back in.

9 News Melbourne journalist Joshua Dawe reported Schache, Grundy, Jordon, Charlie Spargo and Adam Tomlinson were all training on Thursday and set to be part of the squad of 26.

BLUES’ Elimination Final Team

B: J. Weitering, B. Kemp, C. Marchbank

HB: M. McGovern, N. Newman, A.Saad

C: B Acres, P. Cripps, S. Docherty

HF: L. Fogarty, D. Cuningham, M. Cottrell

F: J Martin, C. Curnow, H. McKay

Foll: T. De Koning, A. Cerra, S. Walsh

IC: M. Pittonet, G. Hewett, A. Cincotta, M. Owies

Sub: J. Motlop

Team Tips

Carlton has ruled out a return for Jack Silvagni against Melbourne on Friday night despite the versatile tall passing a fitness test this week.

Silvagni has recovered from a second knee joint sprain he sustained while returning through the VFL on the eve of the finals, but it is understood he will not be picked due to a lack of match preparation in the build up to the MCG blockbuster.

“He got through (a fitness test),” Blues coach Michael Voss said of Silvagni.

“He‘s certainly available to play. I guess the question we have to ask is if he’s ready. He’d be coming in without having played a game first, so we have to weigh that up as a match committee. We’re weighing up availability against ready-to-play.”

The selection decision could pave the way for Matt Kennedy to play his first game since Round 17, as the Blues ponder how to replace Harry McKay (concussion) and Jack Martin (suspension) in a forward line which performed strongly against Sydney.

Voss said Kennedy was in a “good position” to return after playing a game last weekend, with his height and ability to play forward compelling attributes as the Blues look to negate star Melbourne interceptors Steven May and Jake Lever.

“(Kennedy) has played a fair bit forward as well, and with his size there’s an advantage as well … he’s managed to get a fair bit of work under his belt particularly in the last month – not just from a training perspective, but (he was) lucky enough to get a game last week as well so that certainly puts him in a good position to come in,” Voss said.

Jesse Motlop was the starting sub for the Blues and could just slide back into the Blues starting 22 with Tom De Koning to spend more time up forward when not in the ruck, allowing the Blues to bring back Paddy Dow to start as the sub and inject some speed and burst into the midfield later in the game when he comes on.

The Blues opted for seven defenders against the Swans with Caleb Marchbank playing and performing admirably. But against a smaller Demons forward line, the Blues could opt to go smaller and inject some more run and sizeable match-ups, bringing Zac Fisher and Jordan Boyd into the selection fray.

PORT ADELAIDE VS GWS GIANTS

PORT’S Qualifying Final Team

B: T. McKenzie, A. Allir, L. Jones

HB: R. Burton, M. Bergman, D.Houston

C: K. Farrell, W. Drew, X. Durrsma

HF: J. McEntee, W. Rioli, S. Powell-Pepper

F: J. Finlayson, O. Lord, T. Marshall

Foll: S. Lycett, Z. Butters, C. Rozee

IC: O. Wines, J. Horne-Francis, D. Williams, D. Byrne-Jones

Sub: T. Boak

Team Tips

It’s a busy week for the Port Adelaide fitness staff with Dylan Williams subbed off with a hamstring injury and Trent McKenzie being helped from the ground with an ankle injury before returning to the field late in the heavy loss to the Lions at the Gabba.

Adding to their injury concerns, Todd Marshall is another Power player who is in doubt to take his place for the crunch semi- final against the Giants.

Spearhead Charlie Dixon will be given every chance to prove his fitness and return from a fractured foot that has kept him sidelined since Round 20.

“Charlie‘s run four times. He will certainly push to train and he’ll want to play this week,” assistant coach Nathan Bassett said.

“Charlie‘s a great competitor and he holds other people to account as well in the forward line and across the team. “It‘s always nice to have his presence out there.”

With the defensive options running thin, Darcy Byrne-Jones could return to defence with another reshuffle required to fill positions.

GIANTS’ Elimination Final Team

B: J. Buckley, S. Taylor, I. Cumming

HB: L. Ash, H. Himmelberg, L. Whitfield

C: F. Callaghan, T. Green, J. Kelly

HF: T. Bedford, J. Riccardi, B. Daniels

F: D. Lloyd, J. Hogan, T. Greene

Foll: K. Briggs, C. Ward, H. Perryman

IC: L. Keefe, X. O’Halloran, C. Idun, C. Brown

Sub: N. Haynes

Team Tips

The Giants will find a way to squeeze former captain Stephen Coniglio back into their starting 22 for their trip to Adelaide to take on the Power after missing the Elimination Final with an eye injury.

The Giants would be reticent to make many changes to a settled line-up, after the boost of last week having both Sam Taylor and Toby Bedford available to play along with youngster Finn Callaghan also returning from injury.

Emerging with a clean bill of health from the match at the MCG, it’s more than likely the Giants will only make the one change to bring Coniglio in, with the last man in Xavier O’Halloran most likely make way, despite having a significant hand in the side’s blistering second half of the season. Although the wing-forward could be relegated to the sub role at the expense of veteran Nick Haynes, who was the sub last week.

“I think when you’ve got that kind of pressure for selection and whoever comes in executes their role, that’s the sign of really good teams, and fortunately we have that at the moment,” Giants star Josh Kelly said this week.

“It will be a tough one, but I think everyone’s really understanding that that’s the way it is, that’s how you be a successful team.”