Mitch Clark will play his first game of AFL football since round nine last season when he lines up for Geelong against Sydney at Simonds Stadium on Friday night.

It's been more than a year since the veteran big man was laid low with a calf injury, missing the entire second half of his first year with his third AFL club.

Clark, 28, re-injured his calf during pre-season training in January, then suffered a further setback in February. But after returning to VFL ranks a month ago, the talented big man has booted 10 goals in four games, the last of those a fortnight ago.

Clark has played 105 games with Brisbane, Melbourne and Geelong, but only 12 in the past four seasons, battling a foot injury, then retiring in 2014 due to his battles with depression.

He found his way to Geelong at the end of 2014 after a mega-trade deal involving five clubs and Dayne Beams, Travis Varcoe, Jack Crisp, Heritier Lumumba and Levi Greenwood.

Clark comes into the Cats' line-up along with another long-term injury casualty, Nakia Cockatoo. Darcy Lang is also back in the side. They return at the expense of Rhys Stanley, Shane Kersten and Cory Gregson, who were all omitted.

Sydney brought back veteran defender Ted Richards. He was one of four changes, small forward Tom Papley also back in the mix along with Aliir Aliir and Sam Naismith. The Swans have managed Isaac Heeney, and dropped Ben McGlynn, Jeremy Laidler and Toby Nankervis.

North Melbourne has decided against risking Daniel Wells and Jarrad Waite as they fight to keep their premiership chances alive against West Coast.

Richmond, meanwhile,  have made five changes for their game against the Western Bulldogs, only one of them compulsory.

Ruckman Shaun Hampson returns and the Tigers have picked four players — Liam McBean, Oleg Markov, Jason Castagna and Daniel Rioli — with a combined 14 games experience. Markov, the son of world champion pole vaulter Dimitri Markov, will make his AFL debut. Ty Vickery has been dropped, along with Ivan Maric, Kane Lambert and Nathan Broad.