And Pies management sent another trump recruit Quinten Lynch closer to a return against his old club when the big utility was named to make the trip west.
Hudson will fill in for frontline ruck star Darren Jolly who has been rested from the trip for the Pies NAB Cup clash with champion Eagels big man Dean Cox.
Cox, 31, is back into playing action after recovering from a compound finger dislocation on his left hand last month.
Hudson, 34, is expected to play at least some senior AFL games this season at his fourth club teams with exciting young Pies ruck Jarrod Witts against West Coast and Cox.
Lynch, 30, is also expected to play his customary and important role in settling into his adopted outfit with occasional stints on the ball against Cox and emerging West Coast big man Scott Lycett.
The Pies did not include reigning fairest-and-best Dayne Beams, veteran follower Luke Ball, utility Tyson Goldsack, running-back Ben Johnson or opportunist forwards Andrew Krakouer and Brent Macaffer, while Dale Thomas (ankle) and Alan Didak (hamstring) continue to be nursed through injury recovery.
Essendon captain and reigning Brownlow medallist Jobe Watson is named in the Bombers squad to play Richmond at Wangaratta on Saturday night.
Watson has been battling to overcome a medial knee ligament complaint he suffered in intra-club match training a month ago.
Decorated Geelong stars James Kelly, Andrew Mackie and Paul Chapman have all been named to play against Adelaide at Simonds Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
PORT ADELAIDE v MELBOURNE at Renmark, Saturday, March 2.
PORT ADELAIDE: Brendon Ah Chee, Nathan Blee, Matthew Broadbent, Danny Butcher, Tom Clurey, Sam Colquhoun, Hamish Hartlett, Campbell Heath, Justin Hoskin, Thomas Jonas, Matthew Lobbe, Kane Mitchell, Andrew Moore, Jake Neade, Ben Newton, Cameron O'Shea, Darren Pfeiffer, Jarrad Redden, Mason Shaw, Lewis Stevenson, Daniel Stewart, Paul Stewart, Matt Thomas, Jackson Trengove, Oliver Wines, Chad Wingard, Aaron Young.
MELBOURNE: Jesse Hogan, Colin Sylvia, James Strauss, Colin Garland, Cameron Pedersen, James Magner, Josh Tynan, Daniel Nicholson, Tom Gillies, Joel Macdonald, James Sellar, Jack Grimes, Michael Evans, Dom Barry, Dean Kent, Luke Tapscott, Aaron Davey, Neville Jetta, Troy Davis, Jake Spencer, Rory Taggert, Matt Jones, Dean Terlich, Tom Couch, Jack Fitzpatrick, Nathan Stark, Mitch Clisby.
GEELONG v ADELAIDE CROWS at Simonds Stadium, Saturday, March 2.
GEELONG: Mitch Brown, Billie Smedts, Jimmy Bartel, Andrew Mackie, Travis Varcoe, Harry Taylor, James Kelly, Joel Corey, Taylor Hunt, Steven Johnson, Jordan Murdoch, Mitch Duncan, Josh Caddy, Jared Rivers, Cam Guthrie, James Podsiadly, Steven Motlop, George Horlin-Smith, Josh Walker, Paul Chapman, Cam Eardley, Shane Kersten, Jackson Thurlow, Jesse Stringer, Corey Enright, Joel Hamling, Mark Blicavs.
ADELAIDE CROWS: Brad Crouch, Brent Reilly, Josh Jenkins, Scott Thompson, Nathan Van Berlo, Lewis Johnson, Rory Sloane, Matthew Jaensch, Matthew Wright, Taylor Walker, David Mackay, Luke Brown, Bernie Vince, Graham Johncock, Andy Otten, Sam Jacobs, Ben Rutten, Richard Douglas, Tom Lynch, Sam Kerridge, Patrick Dangerfield, Shaun McKernan, Brodie Martin, Ian Callinan, Jason Porplyzia, Aidan Riley, Ricky Henderson.
GOLD COAST v NORTH MELBOURNE at Townsville, Saturday, March 2.
GOLD COAST: Jaeger O'Meara, Zac Smith, Jared Brennan, Maverick Weller, Jarrod Harbrow, Karmichael Hunt, Luke Russell, Gary Ablett, Harley Bennell, Sam Day, Matthew Warnock, Daniel Gorringe, Rory Thompson, Steven May, Jeremy Taylor, David Swallow, Jack Martin, Tom Murphy, Campbell Brown, Jackson Allen, Brandon Matera, Aaron Hall, Jack Hutchins, Greg Broughton, Jesse Lonergan, Joel Wilkinson, Kyal Horsley.
NORTH MELBOURNE: Daniel Currie, Ryan Bastinac, Liam Anthony, Ben Jacobs, Lachlan Hansen, Jack Ziebell, Daniel Wells, Andrew Swallow, Ben Cunnington, Michael Firrito, Lindsay Thomas, Jordan Gysberts, Scott Thompson, Shaun Atley, Sam Wright, Todd Goldstein, Kieran Harper, Levi Greenwood, Robbie Tarrant, Will Sierakowski, Brent Harvey, Aaron Black, Aaron Mullett, Scott McMahon, Sam Gibson.
GWS GIANTS v BRISBANE LIONS at Wagga, Saturday, March 2.
GWS GIANTS: Stephen Coniglio, Toby Greene, Dylan Shiel, Lachie Whitfield, Callan Ward, Devon Smith, Taylor Adams, Jonathon Patton, Nathan Wilson, Adam Treloar, Jeremy Cameron, Adam Tomlinson, Shaun Edwards, Anthony Miles, Jonathan Giles, Liam Sumner, Jacob Townsend, Stephen Gilham, Tim Mohr, Adam Kennedy, Mark Whiley, Kurt Aylett, Bret Thornton, Sam Frost.
BRISBANE LIONS: Sam Docherty, Brent Moloney, Billy Longer, Josh Green, Jed Adcock, Rohan Bewick, Pearce Hanley, Stefan Martin, Dayne Zorko, Claye Beams, Todd Banfield, Marco Paparone, Matthew Leuenberger, Elliot Yeo, Patrick Karnezis, Jack Redden, James Polkinghorne, Ryan Lester, Matt Maguire, Tom Rockliff, Mitch Golby, Justin Clarke, Aaron Cornelius, Sam Michael.
ESSENDON v RICHMOND at Wangaratta, Saturday, March 2.
ESSENDON: Michael Hibberd, Tom Bellchambers, Jobe Watson, Brent Stanton, Leroy Jetta, Brendon Goddard, Stewart Crameri, Courtenay Dempsey, Tayte Pears, Jake Melksham, Michael Hurley, David Hille, Jackson Merrett, Dyson Heppell, Jake Carlisle, David Myers, Cale Hooker, Elliott Kavanagh, Alwyn Davey, Patrick Ryder, Dustin Fletcher, Kyle Hardingham, Nick Kommer, Heath Hocking, Ben Howlett, Mark Baguley, Cory Dell'Olio.
RICHMOND: Chris Newman, Dustin Martin, Brandon Ellis, Shaun Grigg, Matt Dea, Jack Riewoldt, Shane Edwards, Jake Batchelor, David Astbury, Ricky Petterd, Bachar Houli, Luke McGuane, Alex Rance, Shane Tuck, Daniel Jackson, Ben Griffiths, Robin Nahas, Aaron Edwards, Jake King, Tyrone Vickery, Nick Vlastuin, Matthew White, Matthew McDonough, Orren Stephenson, Matt Arnot, Brett O'Hanlon, Steven Verrier.
CARLTON v FREMANTLE at Etihad Stadium, Saturday, March 2.
CARLTON: Andrew Walker, Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs, Kade Simpson, Matthew Kreuzer, Kane Lucas, Rob Warnock, Mitch Robinson, Chris Yarran, Brock McLean, Jeremy Laidler, Sam Rowe, Eddie Betts, Lachie Henderson, Dennis Armfield, Tom Bell, Marcus Davies, Nick Duigan, Jeffrey Garlett, Frazer Dale, Michael Jamison, Levi Casboult, Zach Tuohy, Simon White, Andrew Carrazzo, Aaron Joseph, David Ellard.
FREMANTLE: Hayden Ballantyne, Zac Dawson, Jayden Pitt, Garrick Ibbotson, Danyle Pearce, Nathan Fyfe, Nick Suban, Matt De Boer, Michael Walters, Tom Sheridan, Jon Griffin, Tendai Mzungu, Ryan Crowley, David Mundy, Hayden Crozier, Luke McPharlin, Tanner Smith, Kepler Bradley, Lachie Neale, Zachary Clarke, Cam Sutcliffe, Lee Spurr, Michael Johnson, Jack Hannath, Paul Duffield, Jesse Crichton, Clancee Pearce.
ST KILDA v SYDNEY SWANS at Etihad Stadium, Sunday, March 3.
ST KILDA: Tom Hickey, Arryn Siposs, Clint Jones, Ben McEvoy, Sebastian Ross, Trent Dennis-Lane, Leigh Montagna, Jarryn Geary, Tom Ledger, Jack Newnes, Dylan Roberton, Spencer White, Sam Gilbert, David Armitage, Ahmed Saad, Farren Ray, Sean Dempster, Sam Fisher, Jason Blake, Rhys Stanley, Terry Milera, Nathan Wright, Beau Maister, Sam Dunell, Cameron Shenton, Tom Curren, Jackson Ferguson.
SYDNEY SWANS: Tony Armstrong, Shane Biggs, Jude Bolton, Harry Cunningham, Andrejs Everitt, Heath Grundy, Daniel Hannebery, Kieren Jack, Brandon Jack, Lewis Jetta, Alex Johnson, Josh Kennedy, Jed Lamb, Jake Lloyd, Ben McGlynn, Luke Parker, Michael Pyke, Dane Rampe, Sam Reid, Xavier Richards, Ted Richards, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Dean Towers, Tommy Walsh, Jesse White.
WEST COAST v COLLINGWOOD at Patersons Stadium, Sunday, March 3.
WEST COAST: Mitch Brown, Mark Lecras, Andrew Gaff, Brad Sheppard, Chris Masten, Scott Selwood, Matt Priddis, Luke Shuey, Jamie Cripps, Eric MacKenzie, Josh Kennedy, Dean Cox, Darren Glass, Matt Rosa, Shannon Hurn, Sam Butler, Jack Darling, Ashley Smith, Scott Lycett, Will Schofield, Andrew Embley, Josh Hill, Pat McGinnity, Adam Selwood, Jeremy McGovern, Ashton Hams, Simon Tunbridge.
COLLINGWOOD: Jordan Russell, Nick Maxwell, Harry O'Brien, Martin Clarke, Scott Pendlebury, Jarryd Blair, Jarrod Witts, Jamie Elliott, Ben Reid, Quinten Lynch, Steele Sidebottom, Josh Thomas, Ben Hudson, Ben Kennedy, Ben Sinclair, Travis Cloke, Alan Toovey, Dane Swan, Kyle Martin, Peter Yagmoor, Heath Shaw, Paul Seedsman, Sam Dwyer, Adam Oxley, Jack Frost, Marley Williams, Caolan Mooney.