“I think there’s always some risk around particularly Zak and Xavier … we know how long it can take the absolute cream of the crop to get going when they’ve had an extended break.
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“But the season is coming closer to the end and we need to get them back in our side and playing again at AFL level.â€
The Magpies will debut two players; small forward Jack Ginnivan and tall defender Anton Tohill, and have also selected Finlay Macrae. Callum Brown, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Chris Mayne and Josh Thomas are all out with injury while Caleb Poulter comes into the 22 after he was the 23rd man last week.
The Power sit fourth on the ladder having shown some patchy form through the middle of the season, with GWS, Adelaide, Carlton and Western Bulldogs left to play after the Collingwood clash.
Meanwhile, Carlton coach David Teague said Charlie Curnow needed more time in the VFL and won’t play AFL against North Melbourne this weekend, but has selected Cripps. Marc Murphy faced a fitness test at training but has not been selected.
Liberatore returns with Mitch Hannan and Josh Schache, meaning the Dogs will play talls Schache, Aaron Naughton, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Josh Bruce and Tim English in the same side for the first time.
Melbourne have selected James Harmes for the clash against the Dogs with Aaron vandenBerg dropped.
Josh Kennedy is among four inclusions for the Eagles clash with the Saints along with Mark Hutchings, while Brett Ratten has brought in Nick Coffield, Oscar Clavarino and Paul Hunter for St Kilda.
Ben Cunnington is back in the Roos’ side to play Carlton after a week off for family reasons while Blake Hardwick, Chad Wingard and Jack Scrimshaw are in for the Hawks clash against Adelaide.