Collingwood welcomes back Alan Didak, Leigh Brown and Ben Johnson into its 22 for Saturday night’s qualifying final against the Western Bulldogs.??

All three inclusions, Didak (shoulder), Johnson (illness) and Brown (suspended), will be feeling fresh after missing the final round of the home-and-away season.

Josh Fraser has been omitted after playing his 200th match last week as has Tyson Goldsack and John McCarthy.??

Scroll to the bottom of the page to recap the selection chat.

Didak has proved his fitness on the track this week and is an important inclusion into the Magpie lineup.  Named in the All-Australian squad announced earlier in the week, the 27-year-old has enjoyed matching up against the Bulldogs this season booting a combined seven goals from two wins.??

Johnson was a late withdraw last Saturday with a virus but has fully recovered and is set for his fifth September series.  The finals specialist is averaging similar numbers (21.0 disposals, 2.3 tackles) to his form in 2006, when he finished an equal second in the Copeland Trophy.

Back from a one-match suspension, Brown will aim to continue his form he has found in the second of the year.  The 219-game veteran has booted 18 goals since round 11 and has averaged two majors in his last seven matches.

Fraser, Goldsack and Paul Medhurst have been named as the three emergencies.??

The Magpies have timed their injury run to near perfection with Simon Prestigiacomo and Brad Dick the only Magpies unavailable for selection.  Prestigiacomo will need another week to nurse his corked thigh before he can be available for senior selection.??

The Western Bulldogs, meanwhile, have made four changes with Brad Johnson (361 games/558 goals), Shaun Higgins (68/80), Will Minson (103/56) and Easton Wood (11/2) all named.  The team has omitted three Dogs including Brodie Moles (13/7), Andrejs Everitt (36/8) and Liam Jones (5/6) while Jordan Roughead (8/3) will miss with a shoulder.

First Qualifying Final
Collingwood v Western Bulldogs
Saturday 4 September
MCG, 7:20 PM

Collingwood
B: Nick Maxwell, Nathan Brown, Alan Toovey
HB: Harry O'Brien, Ben Reid, Heath Shaw
C: Sharrod Wellingham, Dane Swan, Ben Johnson
HF: Alan Didak, Travis Cloke, Luke Ball
F: Dayne Beams, Chris Dawes, Steele Sidebottom
Foll: Darren Jolly, Scott Pendlebury, Dale Thomas
Int: Jarryd Blair, Leon Davis, Brent Macaffer, Leigh Brown

Emg: Josh Fraser, Paul Medhurst, Tyson Goldsack

In: Ben Johnson, Leigh Brown, Alan Didak

Out: Josh Fraser, Tyson Goldsack, John McCarthy (all omitted)

Western Bulldogs
B: Jarrod Harbrow, Brian Lake, Ryan Hargrave
HB: Robert Murphy, Tom Williams, Lindsay Gilbee
C: Ryan Griffen, Matthew Boyd, Liam Picken
HF: Jarrad Grant, Mitch Hahn, Brad Johnson
F: Daniel Giansiracusa, Barry Hall, Shaun Higgins
Foll: Ben Hudson, Daniel Cross, Callan Ward
I/C: Dylan Addison, Nathan Eagleton, Will Minson, Easton Wood

Emergencies: Tim Callan, Andrew Hooper, Brodie Moles

In: W.Minson , S.Higgins , E.Wood , B.Johnson
Out:  B.Moles (omitted), A.Everitt (omitted), J.Roughead (shoulder), L.Jones (omitted)