The Demons have included veteran Aaron Davey, utility Cale Morton, hard nut Luke Tapscott and versatile tall Stef Martin.
But the Dees have left out former skipper Brad Green, defender Joel Macdonald, forward Ricky Petterd and the pacy Jamie Bennell.
Football manager Josh Mahoney said Green, the 2010 Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott Memorial Trophy winner, would bounce back.
“Brad Green is a very resilient person, who has never backed away from a challenge,” he said.
“He’ll go back to the VFL and play for Casey and work hard and earn his spot back.”
Davey, who travelled to Perth as an emergency for last round’s clash against West Coast, returns to the side after playing in round one.
“Aaron didn’t make last week’s team, due to form. But we also took the opportunity to put some more work into him, due to a disrupted pre-season. He trained very well this week and has got another opportunity,” Mahoney said.
Martin was a late withdrawal from round two, following a hip complaint. He was replaced by youngster Tom McDonald.
“Stef was a late withdrawal from last week’s game and managed to get through the main training session this week, which forced him back into the line-up,” Mahoney said.
Morton and Tapscott will both play their first match for the season, after returning from injury via Casey in the VFL. Morton suffered a knee injury in February, and Tapscott’s pre-season was interrupted with a hip problem.
“Luke has managed to play the last three games for Casey and has gradually built up his game time. He’s now ready to step up to AFL level,” Mahoney said.
“Cale’s form in the VFL has been consistent over the last three weeks and he’s earned his opportunity in the AFL group.”
It is the first time Green has been omitted from the side since round 19, 2003, when he was an emergency against Geelong.
Remarkably, since Green’s first season at the club in 2000, he has played 243 from a possible 275 matches.
Of the 32 matches he has missed, 10 came in 2009 when he was sidelined for four matches with a broken jaw, and six with a wrist injury.
And of the six times in his career when he hasn’t been in the 22 - five of which were in his debut season - Green has been an emergency on five occasions.
Round 11, 2000 was the only time he wasn’t in the 25, when he played VFL.
In fact, Green has averaged an outstanding 20.08 matches per season.
Macdonald is now an emergency after playing the opening two rounds. And Petterd and Bennell, who were both included last week, have made way after just one match each this season.
Forward/ruckman Jack Fitzpatrick, who made his AFL debut in the final round last year is an emergency.
Round three Melbourne team
B: James Frawley, James Sellar, Clint Bartram
HB: Tom McDonald, Jared Rivers, Colin Garland
C: Rohan Bail, Jack Grimes, Nathan Jones
HF: Cale Morton, Jack Watts, Jeremy Howe
F: Matthew Bate, Mitch Clark, Aaron Davey
FOLL: Mark Jamar, James Magner, Jack Trengove
I/C: Jordie McKenzie, Luke Tapscott, Stef Martin, Lynden Dunn
EMG: Brad Green, Jack Fitzpatrick, Joel Macdonald
IN: Davey, Morton, Tapscott, Martin
OUT: Green, Macdonald, Ricky Petterd, Jamie Bennell
