McDonald, who has not played since round 11 due to a hamstring injury, will play his first match for Casey.
The 33-year-old has endured a frustrating second half to the 2010 season, after he shone early, recapturing the type of form, which resulted in back-to-back club champions in 2006/07.
In recent weeks, he has been on the cusp of returning, but unable to get over the line.
McDonald is just four matches away from reaching his 250th match.
He is also seventh on the list for the most matches at Melbourne, behind David Neitz (306), Robert Flower (272), Adem Yze (271), Jim Stynes (264), Steven Febey (258) and Brian Dixon (252).
Other Demons to have been named in the Casey firsts are: Tom McNamara, Matthew Warnock, Daniel Bell, Kyle Cheney, Neville Jetta, Brad Miller, Addam Maric, Matthew Bate, Austin Wonaeamirri, Jack Fitzpatrick, Rohan Bail, Luke Tapscott, Nathan Jones and Paul Johnson.
Warnock, Maric, Bate, Wonaeamirri, Bail, Jones and Johnson have also been named on Melbourne’s extended bench for Sunday’s clash against the Swans at the MCG.
