After a 14-week absence star West Coast Eagles defender Jeremy McGovern headlines the returning players for Saturday’s challenging match-up with the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba.

McGovern and Tim Kelly, who is likely to figure prominently in September’s Club Champion Awards, both return to the team. Kelly missed last week’s game against St Kilda through illness.

Unfortunately, the return of two highly credentialed senior players coincides with two others being unavailable. Veteran defender Shannon Hurn and captain Luke Shuey, so important in the showing against the Saints, pulled up sore and were unable to be considered for selection.

Neither was able to engage in the main training session yesterday and with the six-day turn-around working against them, they stayed in Perth as teammates boarded a flight to Brisbane earlier today.

Also joining the squad on that long journey were defender Tom Cole who has been sidelined since round four with an ankle injury, midfielder Luke Edwards who missed last week with illness and ruckman Harry Barnett who made his debut as the tactical substitute against the Saints.

One of Cole, Barnett or Edwards is likely to be the substitute for this game. The other emergency, Category B Rookie Tyrell Dewar did not travel.

McGovern, a four-time all-Australian, is a welcome inclusion against a forward structure that boasts tall forwards of the calibre of Joe Daniher and Eric Hipwood. Both were significant factors in the victory against Richmond last week.