Popular North Melbourne forward Nathan Thompson has been axed for the first time since joining the Kangaroos in 2005 to make way for the return of bad boy Shannon Grant.

Thompson missed all of 2007 following a knee re-construction before returning this season but has struggled recently kicking just two goals in his past four outings.

The 30-year-old - the Roos' leading goalkicker in 2005 and 2006 and runner-up in the 2006 best and fairest - played every game in 2005 and 2006 before missing all of last year and the only two games he has missed this season were because of knee problems in rounds 11 and 12.

Grant, the Roos' third most experienced player with 235 games, was stood down for last week's narrow win over Port Adelaide after getting himself in trouble at a club golf day.

The 31-year-old has been accused of doing everything from tipping over a portaloo to throwing food with the Roos having consistently refused to give details as to just why they dropped one of their most experienced forwards.

But with the club's finals hopes on the line against the fifth-placed Magpies on Friday night, Grant was recalled along with another experienced forward in Corey Jones, who was dropped last week, while Blake Grima was also omitted.

Collingwood again did not consider number one ruckman Josh Fraser despite his re-appearance in the VFL last week following knee problems - naming an unchanged side from the one which beat Adelaide last week.

Richmond will also again be without two of its most important players in spearhead Matthew Richardson and full-back Will Thursfield for Saturday's crunch game against Essendon at the MCG.

Richardson will miss his second straight match with knee and hamstring soreness and Thursfield - who would have stood Bombers' skipper Matthew Lloyd - will miss his fourth successive game due to on-going hamstring problems as the Tigers named an unchanged team following last week's 77-point win over West Coast.

Essendon, whose finals' hopes like Richmond's are on the line on Saturday, had just 27 fit players to pick from following the knee injury to Mark McVeigh and the club imposed suspension handed down to Andrew Lovett with their places taken by Ricky Dyson and Jarrod Atkinson.

The Bulldogs regained two stars while Geelong lost two for the top of the table showdown at Skilled Stadium on Saturday.

While the reigning premiers - winners of 33 of their past 35 games - will