THE Dream Team for Saturday night's Hall of Fame tribute match at the MCG has been the hardest hit by injury, although a cloud still hangs over several Victorian stars.

Despite this, 17 omissions have been made from the original Victorian squad, with seven new players coming in, three of them from the in-form Hawks.

The Dream Team has cut 13 players, replacing them with three.

At least six Dream Team contenders have been left out due to injury. Nick Riewoldt, with medial ligament damage to his knee, heads the list, which also includes Chance Bateman (broken hand), Chad Cornes (broken finger), Tom Harley (buttock strain) and Simon Black (osteitis pubis).

Geelong's Gary Ablett pulled out of Saturday's match against the Brisbane Lions at Skilled Stadium with calf soreness, but Cats coach Mark Thompson, who is also coach of the Victorian side, has chosen to name the star midfielder. AFL medical experts, however, believe he is a doubtful starter.

Lions Jonathan Brown and Black pulled out of the clash with the Cats, Brown with a quadriceps strain. While Black was not selected and is likely to be nursed through the season, Brown said yesterday he was keen to play and had discussed playing with Lions coach Leigh Matthews.

"I've got a bit of a tight quad," Brown said on Channel Nine. "Didn't quite get through the fitness test (Saturday) morning, but probably pulled up short by a day or two.

"So still pretty confident of making the game next week and I'll do everything I can to get up for it.

"I have spoken to Leigh about it and, as I said, I have said to him that I will approach it like a normal game, but he just said to make sure I obviously go through my tests thoroughly and make sure I am fit and healthy to play.

"Obviously, I am honoured to be the captain of Victoria, but even if I wasn't captain, I think it is a great opportunity for the players and we should be doing everything we can to get up for the game."

Hawthorn's Lance Franklin injured a shoulder on Saturday but the injury is believed to be a continuing one that will not keep him out of the Dream Team but more than likely require surgery at the end of the season.

Coming into the Victorian side are Trent Croad, Scott Pendlebury, Jarryd Roughead, Joel Selwood, Brad Sewell, Troy Simmonds and Jarrad Waite. Into the Dream Team come Nathan Bassett, Daniel Cross and Daniel Motlop.

Daniel Kerr was selected for the Dream Team despite his suspension for headbutting Scott West in round six.

Assistant coach of the Dream Team, Neale Daniher, said last night that although several top players were missing from both sides, the teams were still a who's who of the AFL.

"They are still going to be very good line-ups there. And it's good news Kerr is going to play, he's a star," Daniher said.

Victoria has players from 10 clubs, headed by eight representatives from Geelong and five from Hawthorn. Of the Melbourne clubs, Essendon and the Demons are not represented.

The Dream Team has players from 11 clubs, with Carlton, Essendon, North Melbourne, Melbourne and St Kilda not represented.

The final teams of 25 players (18 plus seven interchange) will be named on Friday.