FORMER Melbourne midfielder Sam Blease will play his first AFL game for Geelong this weekend after being brought into the team to play the Sydney Swans at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.

Blease and Mathew Stokes, who will play his first match since suffering an achilles injury in round three, are the additions to the side that defeated Collingwood in round six.

Blease played 33 games for the Demons between 2011 and 2014. The 24-year-old becomes the 1052nd player to line up in a VFL/AFL game for the Cats.

Luckless onballer Josh Cowan is out after straining his hamstring against the Pies, while first-year player Nakia Cockatoo has been omitted.

Interestingly, it will be the first time that Blease, Mitch Clark and Jared Rivers have played an AFL game together since they lined up for Melbourne in round 13, 2012.

That day they kicked nine goals between them as the Demons defeated Greater Western Sydney by 78 points.

CATS TEAM
Backs: Jackson Thurlow, Tom Lonergan, Jed Bews
Half-backs: Corey Enright, Jared Rivers, Harry Taylor
Centres: Mitch Duncan, Joel Selwood, Jordan Murdoch
Half-forwards: Steven Motlop, Tom Hawkins, Josh Caddy
Forwards: Cory Gregson, Mitch Clark, Shane Kersten
Followers: Rhys Stanley, Steve Johnson, Cameron Guthrie
Interchange: Sam Blease, Mark Blicavs, Darcy Lang, Mathew Stokes

In: Mathew Stokes, Sam Blease
Out: Josh Cowan (hamstring), Nakia Cockatoo (omitted)