Geelong has copped a double injury blow ahead of its clash with North Melbourne, with superstar Patrick Dangerfield and defender Jack Henry both ruled out of the match.

Dangerfield will miss after he suffered a cork against the Hawks, while the Cats are being conservative with Henry after he injured the same foot he had pre-season surgery on in the same game.

While Luke Dahlhaus has been managed, the Cats will unleash rookie debutant Ollie Dempsey, who’s impressed for the Cats at VFL level in recent weeks.

“He’s just an excitement machine, he’s got a really good vertical leap,” Cats assistant coach Nigel Lappin told the club’s website.

“He’s turned himself into a hybrid forward, one of those guys who can play reasonably tall if you need him to but he’s one of our best 2km time triallists.”

North Melbourne has dropped youngster Eddie Ford, but regain key duo Cam Zurhaar and Tarryn Thomas from injury and have opted to play small forward debutant Paul Curtis.

Melbourne has made a selection statement, with premiership forward Tom McDonald — who’s kicked just four goals from five games so far this season — dropped for its Anzac Eve clash with Richmond.

But the Demons will unveil midfield recruit Luke Dunstan, who joined the club last year as a free agent after beginning his career at St Kilda, for his first game in red and blue.

Melbourne will also be without stars Jake Lever and Jack Viney through Covid protocols, but regains key forward Ben Brown.

Brisbane has dropped Nakia Cockatoo for the Q-Clash against the Gold Coast Suns, who’ve re-called gun defender Connor Budarick to play his first AFL game since injuring his ACL in Round 2 of last season.

Carlton has been dealt a crucial blow ahead of its huge clash against Fremantle, with forward Jack Silvagni withdrawn from the side.

The Blues on Friday confirmed Silvagni, who’s kicked seven goals from five games so far this season, tweaked his ankle during a training session on Thursday. The club sent him off for scans immediately, but when results showed no significant damage, he was named in the team as there was hope he’d still be fit to face Freo.

But Silvagni underwent a fitness test on Friday before the Blues flew to Perth, with the club making the call to give Silvagni the weekend to recover in the hope he’ll be available for selection in Round 7.

The Blues have re-called Tom De Koning into the 22-man line-up, with defender Lachie Plowman joining the emergencies.

While Silvagni’s withdrawal is a blow, Carlton superstar Patrick Cripps will return after missing being sidelined with a hamstring injury.

In other news, Hawthorn on Saturday confirmed that defender Changkuoth Jiath (hamstring) will miss their game with the Swans while Tom Phillips is also a late withdrawal.

Young duo Finn Maginness and Josh Morris have been added to the squad ahead of Monday’s game.

The Western Bulldogs will be without gun ruckman Tim English for at least the next fortnight after the club confirmed the result of scans on his hamstring.

English was a surprise withdrawal for round six after an impressive opening five rounds, with the club confirming on Friday he suffered a hamstring injury at training.

The out-of-contract ruckman is expected to miss “two-to-three games” with a “low-grade hamstring injury”.

Elsewhere, Essendon has named both Jake Stringer and Zach Merrett for the Anzac Day clash with Collingwood in a major boost to their chances of a second win this season.

Merrett was initially expected to miss six-to-eight weeks with a syndesmosis injury, making his inclusion all the more surprising.

Port Adelaide’s Brownlow medallist Ollie Wines returns after a heart scare.

Sydney has named Lance Franklin to face his old side Hawthorn in the other Anzac Day game while on Friday night, GWS has managed Jesse Hogan as it regains Toby Greene.

Collingwood has dropped tall forward Mason Cox.

See the full squads below, with the Sunday and Monday teams to be confirmed in the coming days.

AFL ROUND 6 FIXTURE (All times AEST)

GWS GIANTS v ST KILDA

Friday April 22, 7:50pm at Manuka Oval

GIANTS

B: Keefe, Taylor, Idun

HB: Whitfield, Haynes, Perryman

C: Kennedy, Ward, Ash

HF: Taranto, Himmelberg, Coniglio

F: Hill, Greene, Bruhn

FOLL: Preuss, Kelly, Green

I/C: Flynn, Callaghan, Stein, Cumming

EMG: Riccardi, Wehr, de Boer, Fahey

IN: Greene, Preuss, Cumming

OUT: de Boer (omitted), O’Halloran (omitted), Hogan (managed), Riccardi (medi sub)

SAINTS

B: Wilkie, Howard, McKenzie

HB: Paton, Battle, Sinclair

C: Hill, Gresham, Ross

HF: Long, Membrey, Higgins

F: Wood, King, Butler

FOLL: Marshall, Steele, Crouch

I/C: Webster, Windhager, Wanganeen-Milera

EMG: Lienert, Highmore, Heath, Byrnes

IN: Webster

OUT: Lienert (omitted), Byrnes (omitted)

WESTERN BULLDOGS v ADELAIDE CROWS

Saturday April 23, 1:45pm at Mars Stadium

BULLDOGS

B: Richards, Gardner, Duryea

HB: Daniel, O’Brien, Dale

C: McNeil, Macrae, Scott

HF: Liberatore, Cordy, Treloar

F:Bontempelli, Naughton, Weightman

FOLL: Martin, Smith, Dunkley

I/C: McComb, Ugle-Hagan, Schache, Williams

EMG: Crozier, West, Khamis, Sweet

IN: Martin, McComb, Schache

OUT: Garcia (injured), English (injured), Hunter (personal reasons), Wallis (personal reasons)

CROWS

B: Doedee, Butts, Frampton

HB: B.Smith, Dawson, Brown

C: Cook, Laird, Sholl,

HF: Rachele, Murphy, McHenry

F: McAdam, Walker, Himmelberg

FOLL: O’Brien, Keays, Berry

I/C: Gollant, Hately, Crouch, Jones

EMG: Rowe, Soligo, Thilthorpe, Hamill

IN: Hately

OUT: Sloane (injured), Rowe (medi sub)

PORT ADELAIDE v WEST COAST EAGLES

Saturday April 23, 4:35pm at Adelaide Oval

POWER

B: Burton, Aliir, Clurey

HB: Bergman, Jonas, Byrne-Jones

C: Houston, Drew, Bonner

HF: Butters, Georgiades, Rozee

F: Gray, Marshall, Powell-Pepper

FOLL: Hayes, Wines, Boak

I/C: Farrell, Dumont, Motlop, Finlayson

EMG: Amon, McEntee, Mayes Jones

IN: Wines, Farrell

OUT: Mead (omitted), Amon (omitted), McEntee (omitted)

EAGLES

B: Hurn, Barrass, Witherden

HB: Nelson, Edwards, Duggan

C: Redden, Kelly, Naish

HF: Rioli, Darling, Cripps

F: Waterman, Kennedy, Ryan

FOLL: B. Williams, Yeo, Shuey

I/C: O’Neill, Foley, West, Strnadica

EMG: Langdon, Winder, Rotham Jones

IN: O’Neill, West, Strnadica

OUT: Rotham (omitted), Langdon (omitted), Jones (omitted), Dixon (injured)

FREMANTLE DOCKERS v CARLTON

Saturday April 23, 7:40pm at Optus Stadium

DOCKERS

B: Cox, Pearce, Clark

HB: O’Driscoll, Ryan, Logue

C: Aish, Walters, Acres

HF: Brayshaw, Taberner, Frederick

F: Switkowski, Lobb, Schultz

FOLL: Darcy, Brodie, Serong

I/C: Tucker, Mundy, Walker, Colyer

EMG: Wilson, Erasmus, Banfield, meek

IN: Logue, Schultz

OUT: Young (HS protocol), Chapman (HS protocol), Banfield (omitted)

BLUES

B: Weitering, Williams, Newman

HB: Saad, Young, Docherty

C: Cotrell, Hewett, Newnes

HF: Owies, Martin, Curnow

F: Fisher, McKay, De Koning

FOLL: Pittonet, Walsh, Cerra

I/C: Cripps, Durdin, Parks, Setterfield

EMG: Boyd, Dow, Plowman, Motlop

IN: Cripps, De Koning

OUT: Kennedy (soreness), Silvagni (ankle), Dow (medi sub)

NORTH MELBOURNE v GEELONG CATS

Sunday April 24, 1:10pm at Blundstone Arena

KANGAROOS

B: Bosenavulagi, McKay, Corr

HB: McDonald, Walker, Ziebell

C: La. Young, Davies-Uniacke, Scott

HF: Taylor, Larkey, Thomas

F: Curtis, Zurhaar, Goldstein

FOLL: Xerri, Simpkin, Horne-Francis

I/C: Mahony, Greenwood, Turner, Perez

EMG: Ford. Bonar, Coleman-Jones, Bergman

IN: Thomas, Curtis, Zurhaar,

OUT: Hall (injured), Stephenson (illness), Powell (omitted), Ford (omitted)

CATS

B: De Koning, Blicavs, Bews

HB: Kolodjashnij, Stewart, Tuohy

C: Duncan, Selwood, Smith

HF: Higgins, Cameron, Dempsey

F: Stengle, Hawkins, Close

FOLL: Stanley, Parfitt, C.Guthrie

I/C: Atkins, O’Connor, Holmes, Miers

EMG: Z.Guthrie, Ratugolea, Dahlhaus, Evans

IN: Higgins, Dempsey

OUT: Dangerfield (injured), Henry (injured), Dahlhaus (managed)

GOLD COAST SUNS v BRISBANE LIONS

Sunday April 24, 4:10pm at Metricon Stadium

SUNS

B: Powell, Collins, Lemmens

HB: Weller, Ballard, Farrar

C: Fiorini, Miller, Ellis

HF: Ainsworth, Casboult, Rankine

F: Rosas, Chol, Holman

FOLL: Witts, Rowell, Anderson

I/C: Budarick, Corbett, Markov, Swallow

EMG: Atkins, Davies, Burgess, Sharp

IN: Budarick, Burgess, Sharp

OUT: Atkins, Davies (both omitted)

LIONS

B: Gardiner, Andrews, Adams

HB: Starcevich, Rich, Answerth

C:Ah Chee, Zorko, McCluggage

HF: Bailey, McStay. McCarthy

F: Rayner, Daniher, Cameron

FOLL: McInerney, Lyons, Neale

I/C: Lohmann, J.Berry, Coleman, Fort,

EMG: T.Berry, Cockatoo, Prior, Payne

IN: Coleman

OUT: Robinson (injured), Cockatoo (omitted)

RICHMOND v MELBOURNE

Sunday April 24, 7:25pm at the MCG

TIGERS

B: Broad, Tarrant, Gibcus

HB: Short, Vlastuin, D.Rioli

C: Ross, Cotchin, McIntosh

HF: Castagna, Baker, Edwards

F: Lynch, Riewoldt, Balta

FOLL: Nankervis, Prestia, Dow

I/C: Mansell, Collier-Dawkins, Bolton, Graham

EMG: Banks, Sonsie, M.Rioli, Parker

IN: Gibcus, McIntosh, Mansell, Collier-Dawkins

OUT: Miller (omitted), Aarts (omitted), Parker (omitted), Pickett (injured), Ralphsmith (injured)

DEMONS

B: Hunt, May, Petty

HB: Bowey, Smith, Rivers

C: Brayshaw, Petracca, Langdon

HF: Pickett, Weideman, Neal-Bullen

F: Fritsch, Brown, Spargo

FOLL: Gawn, Oliver, Sparrow

I/C: Harmes, Jackson, Jordon, Dunstan,

EMG: Bedford, Melksham Tomlinson, McDonald

IN: Smith, Brown, Dunstan

OUT: Lever (HS protocol), Viney (HS protocol), McDonald (Omitted), Bedford (Medi-Sub)

HAWTHORN v SYDNEY SWANS

Monday April 25, 12:30pm at UTAS Stadium

HAWKS

B: Frost, Grainger-Barras, Hardwick

HB: Sicily, Maginness, Day

C: Shiels, Mitchell, Ward

HF: Nash, Breust, Impey

F: Moore, Lynch, Gunston

FOLL: Koschitzke, Newcombe, Wingard

I/C (from): Morrison, Morris, Scrimshaw, O’Meara, Callow, Macdonald, Long, Worpel

EMG:

IN: Day, Lynch, Wingard, Callow, Long

OUT: Lewis (injured), Reeves (injured) Phillips (injured), Jiath (injured)

SWANS

B: Cunningham, Rampe, P. McCartin

HB: Lloyd, T. McCartin, McInerney

C: Blakey, Rowbottom, Florent

HF: Hayward, Franklin, McDonald

F: Warner, McLean, Parker

FOLL: Ladhams, Mills, Heeney

I/C (from): Campbell, Ronke, Gulden, Bell, Kennedy, Wicks, Reid, Stephens

EMG:

IN: Franklin, Wicks, Stephens

OUT:

ESSENDON v COLLINGWOOD

Monday April 25, 3:20pm at the MCG

BOMBERS

B: Zerk-Thatcher, Laverde, Kelly

HB: Redman, Ridley, Heppell

C: Durham, Hobbs, Cox

HF: Martin, Stringer, Caldwell

F: McGrath, Wright, Guelfi

FOLL: Draper, Parish, Merrett

I/C (from): Hind, Shiel, Waterman, Perkins, Bryan, Smith, Baldwin, Cutler

IN: Stringer, Merrett, Bryan, Baldwin

OUT: Phillips (injured)

MAGPIES

B: Quaynor, Moore, Mihocek

HB: Maynard, Howe, Daicos

C: Noble, Pendlebury, Daicos

HF: Hoskin-Elliott, Madgen, Sidebottom

F: T.Adams, N.Kreuger, J.De Goey

FOLL: B.Grundy, P.Lipinski, J.Crisp

I/C (from): Cameron, McInnes, Wilson, C.Brown, McCreery, T.Brown, Poulter, Ginnivan

IN: Mihocek, T.Brown, McCreery, Poulter, Ginnivan

OUT: Roughead (injured), Cox (omitted)