Luke Dunstan has forced his way back into the senior side after a string of strong performances.

Dunstan will be joined by veteran defender Nathan Brown and youngster Ed Phillips in the 22 to take on the Eagles on Saturday night.

Darragh Joyce, newcomer Jonathon Marsh and young gun Hunter Clark were all omitted after the loss to the Giants in Canberra.

Dunstan racked up 33 disposals in the VFL last Sunday – 12 of which came in the last term – as Sandringham held on in a thriller.

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A bullish inside midfielder by trade, the 24-year-old brings toughness and brute strength to the contest, and his inclusion will sure up the middle.

Brown was also instrumental in the win, after being dropped ahead of the trip to Canberra.

The premiership player adds a wealth of experience, while Ed Phillips earns his opportunity after a consistent start to the year.

The hard-running midfielder made an immediate impression on debut in 2018, before going on to play seven AFL games in his second year at the club.

The endurance king dominated running sessions during the pre-season, including outpointing the previously undefeated skipper Jarryn Geary in the 3km time-trial.

Richardson said Clark was a player of the future despite being forced to find form in the VFL.

"I think Hunter's going to be an outstanding player for our footy club. Right now, he's been struggling a bit," Richardson said at his Thursday morning press conference.

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"We've spoken about that long and hard in match committee, do we keep him going, do we put him back to build a bit of confidence and a bit of belief in the VFL?

"Right now, he's in a little bit of a slump, but we'll make sure whether he's in or out, we'll support him and make sure he gets back playing good strong footy really quickly.”

Meanwhile, last year's pick No. 4 Max King will play his first game for the club when he takes the field for Sandringham in the VFL on Sunday afternoon at Victoria Park against Collingwood.