Travis Johnstone, Cheynee Stiller and Matthew Leuenberger have been added to the Lions team to play Essendon this Saturday night at Telstra Dome.

Johnstone returns for his first senior match since injuring his hamstring in the early stages of the Lions’ Round 12 clash with the Bulldogs at the MCG while Stiller and Leuenberger have been rewarded for their performances in the Suncoast Lions reserves team.

Joel Macdonald has been forced to miss his first match of the season weekend’s match with an ankle injury while draftee James Polkinghorne and Justin Sherman have both been omitted.

The full Lions team is:

B: Josh Drummond (39), Daniel Merrett (21), Joel Patfull (24)
HB: Cheynee Stiller (32), Jared Brennan (17), Travis Johnstone (4)
C: Anthony Corrie (18), Simon Black (20), Tim Notting (8)
HF: Michael Rischitelli (35), Jonathan Brown (16), Ashley McGrath (9)
F: Robert Copeland (30), Daniel Bradshaw (36), Mitch Clark (1)
Foll: Jamie Charman (19), Luke Power (6), Jed Adcock (7)
Int: Tom Collier (22), Troy Selwood (28), Rhan Hooper (33), Matthew Leuenberger (23)

Emerg: Lachlan Henderson (14), Bradd Dalziell (34), Justin Sherman (11)

IN: Travis Johnstone, Cheynee Stiller, Matthew Leuenberger

OUT: Joel Macdonald (ankle), James Polkinghorne, Justin Sherman (omit)