Hawthorn’s Tom Murphy will have to deal with AFL grand final heartache for the second time in his career, after being dropped for Saturday’s MCG decider against Sydney.

Murphy was the only selection victim as Hawks skipper Luke Hodge was named on Thursday night to return from illness.

The Swans stuck with the same 22 that comfortably downed Collingwood in last Friday night’s preliminary final at ANZ Stadium.

Hodge missed the Hawks’ narrow preliminary final win over Adelaide on Saturday with gastroenteritis.

But after the skipper’s recovery was confirmed early this week, Murphy, who was Hodge’s late replacement for the preliminary final, always loomed as the player facing the axe.

“There’s always unlucky people at grand final time,” Hawthorn coaching director Chris Fagan said on Thursday.

“The strength of the team this year’s been our squad, and it’s not just the bloke who misses out but the other six or seven players who have trained on – it’ll be terribly disappointing for them too.

“But they’ve helped us get there and been an important part of what we’ve done.”

Murphy has played just six AFL games this season, but they included both of the Hawks’ previous two finals.

In 2008, he played 18 senior games, but was dropped for the preliminary final and could not regain his spot in the side that beat Geelong in the grand final.

It was confirmed earlier this week that Sydney’s Ben McGlynn and Hawthorn’s Brent Guerra had lost their race against time to recover from hamstring injuries.

With forecast wild weather for Saturday in Melbourne, there is still the chance that either side might make a late change.

The Hawks’ side includes 10 players who were part of their 2008 grand final win, while Shaun Burgoyne, who played in grand finals with Port Adelaide in 2004 and 2007, is also chasing a second flag.

The Swans’ team includes just four veterans of their 2005 premiership – Adam Goodes, Jude Bolton, Ryan O’Keefe and Lewis Roberts-Thomson.