The Magpies have made three changes with Chris Dawes, Jaxson Barham and Steele Sidebottom all named in the starting 22.
Nathan Brown (knee), Brad Dick (omitted), and Sharrod Wellingham (omitted) will miss after playing last week.
Exciting young prospect, Sidebottom, returns to the side after playing in six senior matches in his debut season (rounds 7-12). The midfielder, who was selected by the club in last year’s draft with overall pick 11, averaged 16 disposals, four tackles and three marks at the AFL level.
Sidebottom joins ball-magnet Barham, who will play his fifth AFL match of his career. The father/son pick in 2007 averaged 19 disposals and five tackles this season but it was his ball usage which let him down, something he has worked on in the last month in the VFL.
Dawes will add his 193-centimetre frame to the Magpie line up on Friday night for just his eighth AFL match after playing the final six matches including finals last year. The 21-year-old, who was named as an emergency last week, has played one senior match this year back in round 13 against Fremantle and kicked two goals.
Tyson Goldsack, Ben Reid and Wellingham have been named as emergencies.
Ruckman Josh Fraser is set to miss at least another two weeks of football after head coach Mick Malthouse announced the big man was having a minor operation on his troublesome knee. Fraser injured his knee in a tackle against the Western Bulldogs and will be a big loss to the Magpie ruck stocks.
Defender Brown hyper extended his knee in the loss to Hawthorn last week and will need another week on the sidelines before he can return to the field.
In his ninth season at the club, 2006 Copeland Trophy (best and fairest) winner Alan Didak will run out for his 150th AFL game. The midfielder has been in career-best form averaging 27 possessions and six marks in 11 games this season.
Carlton has recalled defenders Mark Austin (12 games) and Michael Jamison (34 games) for the match.
Joe Anderson will miss the match with a hamstring injury, while Adam Hartlett has been omitted.
Collingwood and Carlton will join forces to pay tribute to former Carlton President Richard Pratt. The Richard Pratt Cup will be presented to the winning team’s captain in the rooms following Friday night’s game.
2009 AFL Round 17
Carlton v Collingwood
Friday 24 July
MCG, 7:40 pm
Collingwood
B: Harry O’Brien, Simon Prestigiacomo, Heath Shaw
HB: Nick Maxwell (c), Chris Dawes, Tarkyn Lockyer
C: Jaxson Barham, Dayne Beams, Scott Pendlebury
HF: Steele Sidebottom, Travis Cloke, Paul Medhurst
F: Alan Didak, John Anthony, Dale Thomas
Foll: Cameron Wood, Dane Swan, Shane O’Bree
Int: Ben Johnson, Leigh Brown, Leon Davis, Alan Toovey
Em: Tyson Goldsack, Ben Reid, Sharrod Wellingham
In: Jaxson Barham, Chris Dawes, Steele Sidebottom
Out: Nathan Brown (knee), Brad Dick (omitted), Sharrod Wellingham (omitted)
Milestone: Alan Didak (150 AFL/CFC games)
Carlton
B: Michael Jamison, Bret Thornton, Andrew Carrazzo
HB: Chris Johnson, Paul Bower, Bryce Gibbs
C: Marc Murphy, Kade Simpson, Heath Scotland
HF: Ryan Houlihan, Brad Fisher, Chris Yarran
F: Mark Austin, Brendan Fevola, Eddie Betts
Foll: Matthew Kreuzer, Chris Judd, Aaron Joseph
I/C: Greg Bentley, Shaun Grigg, Shaun Hampson, Jordan Russell
Emg: Dennis Armfield, Cameron Cloke, Adam Hartlett
In: Austin, Jamison
Out: Joe Anderson (hamstring), Adam Hartlett
