St Kilda will take a reconfigured attack into Friday night's round five AFL opener against Essendon after dumping under-performing full-forward Fraser Gehrig.

Saints coach Ross Lyon said after last week's defeat to Geelong he would consider a new attack and he stayed true to his word by axing Gehrig, who briefly retired after last season but has so far booted seven goals from a combined 20 disposals in three games.

Justin Koschitzke and Nick Riewoldt will now be the key targets at Telstra Dome as the Saints try to win after successive losses.

They could potentially be joined by ex-Cat Charlie Gardiner, who replaced Gehrig and was named on the bench.

Veteran Saint Robert Harvey also kept his place despite him suffering a corked quad against Geelong.

In contrast, Essendon regained their full-forward, as captain Matthew Lloyd was named after missing last week's loss to the Western Bulldogs with calf soreness.

The Bombers also regained Angus Monfries from food poisoning and Andrew Welsh from a hamstring injury, but lost Sam Lonergan and Mark McVeigh to hamstrings, and dropped experienced midfielder Damien Peverill.

Fremantle made five changes for Saturday's game against Adelaide and struggling forward Chris Tarrant was among those omitted, although for personal reasons, as he has spent time with a family member who has cancer.

Des Headland is out with a knee injury, but Robert Warnock, Paul Duffield and Brett Peake were all dropped after the 64-point loss to Richmond.

Hawthorn regained defender Trent Croad after he broke his wrist in round one for a timely duel against either the Brisbane Lions' Jonathan Brown or Daniel Bradshaw at the Gabba on Saturday night.

The ladder-leading Hawks also regained midfielders Sam Mitchell, after calf soreness kept him out of the win over Adelaide, and Jordan Lewis who returns from suspension.

The Lions regained ruckman Jamie Charman and goalsneak Ash McGrath, for Wayde Mills and Lachlan Henderson.

Collingwood's Brodie Holland will play his first game since round 13 last year, against North Melbourne at the MCG on Saturday night.

Young forward Ben Reid and defender Tyson Goldsack will also play, but Alan Toovey and Danny Stanley were dumped after the loss to Carlton, along with the suspended Nick Maxwell.

The Kangaroos will be without backman Josh Gibson (knee).

Johnson was confident he would be passed fit to play the Tigers.

He told the Nine Network's The Footy Show his hip injury was "nothing major" despite him missing training on Wednesday, and that he hoped to train on Friday to prove his fitness.

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