Adelaide and Collingwood have suffered significant injury setbacks ahead of Saturday's elimination final at AAMI Stadium with both star Crows' forward Jason Porplyzia and Magpies skipper Scott Burns ruled out of the knockout clash.
But there was much better news for another of this weekend's elimination finalists in Sydney, which welcomed back big guns Adam Goodes and Ryan O'Keefe for Saturday night's home final against North Melbourne.
And reigning premiers Geelong were still able to significantly strengthen a side which has already won 40 of its past 42 matches - and which goes into the finals as the shortest-priced favourites to win the flag in living memory - by adding three star defenders in Max Rooke, Andrew Mackie and David Wojcinski to the side which thrashed West Coast by 99 points in round 22.
But it is the loss of the exciting Porplyzia that was the talking point of team selections ahead of the start of the finals with the Crows deciding that his injured shoulder - which has popped in and out all season - was just far too structurally unsound to risk him in a cut-throat final.
Porplyzia, who has booted 32 goals in 18 games this season, booted two goals in his return match against the Bulldogs in round 22 - having missed three matches after suffering bruising on his brain after being knocked out against Carlton in round 18.
His absence now leaves the Crows desperately short on firepower with their other star forward Brett Burton sidelined for the rest of the season following a knee re-construction.
But the Pies will again be without their inspirational skipper, who also missed round 22 with a calf problem as his team suffered a shock four-goal loss to Fremantle to surrender any chance of a top-four finish.
The Pies however did welcome back Dale Thomas, who has missed the past two matches with a calf injury, with Danny Stanley dropped as the Pies resisted the temptation - as expected - to bring back suspended duo Alan Didak and Heath Shaw.
But the return of Goodes and O'Keefe however is a huge boost for the Swans after the pair were all but rested in round 22 and such is the strength of the Swans line-up that one of the two players to make way was talented youngster Patrick Veszpremi - who booted four goals against Brisbane in round 22.
The Kangaroos surprisingly dumped ruckman Hamish McIntosh, who had only just returned from a two-month lay-off with a knee injury, as well as out-of-form forward Corey Jones and Gavin Urquhart.
But experienced forward Nathan Thompson - who missed last year's finals campaign with the knee injury that sidelined him all season - returns despite playing just one of the past seven matches due to more knee problems while Jess Sinclair and Ed Lower were also promoted.
Hawthorn also went for experience with former skipper Shane Crawford - who has battled knee tendonitis throughout the season - returning for Friday night's qualifying final in place of youngster Xavier Ellis, who was dropped despite playing 21 of 22 matches this season.
But the Hawks are still without back-up ruckman Simon Taylor due to injury while Campbell Brown was named but is in doubt due to an ankle injury.
In contrast the Bulldogs regained their number one ruckman in Ben Hudson, following a hamstring injury in a