The start of an AFL season is always an enticing prospect for any side, let alone when it comes in the form of an old rival and a bumper Friday night crowd at the MCG.

Essendon’s season opener against Hawthorn has felt like an even longer time coming after last week’s rescheduling of Opening Round, with Senior Coach Brad Scott excited for his side to officially take the field in 2025.

Entering a new campaign with the fourth-youngest list in the competition, it’s the desire of bridging the gap with the league’s best that most excites Scott, who’s hopeful his side can keep making notable progression after consecutive 11-win seasons.

“We feel like we have a fresh base from which to launch and that starts right now, we’re not going to sit back and wait for it to happen,” Scott said.

“It’s a really even competition, we think it continues to trend in being very tight and that’s a challenge but it presents opportunity as well. We go forward with real optimism.

“We think our best is capable of mixing it with the best, the challenge is to keep our best out there as often as possible and keep developing our young talent coming through.

“We do have some optimism around our young players but we need to accelerate their development as quick as we can.”

Scott will be equipped with two Club debutants on Friday night, including former 39-game Lion Jaxon Prior and the anticipated reveal of teenage first-round draftee Isaac Kako onto an AFL stage for the first time.

In the case of Kako, the announcement felt like a seminal moment after five years’ worth of development through the Club’s James Hird Academy.

“We told the players just prior to coming into this press conference, so we’re really excited,” Scott said.

“He’s ready. It feels like Isaac’s been a part of the fabric around here since he was 14 years of age.

“He’s just shown a remarkable ability to focus on what we want him to focus on, and he doesn’t shy away from the big stage either.

“He wants the ball in his hands and he’s been on record as saying he wants to entertain – we want him to entertain but we also want him to defend and he does that very well.”

Prior’s versatility has been apparent over the course of the pre-season, with Scott likely opting to utilise him in the back six given his strong defensive traits and ability to rebound from the last line.

Given his father Michael’s former association with the Bombers, it makes sense that the 23-year-old gets his fresh start at Bomberland with a first round Club debut.

“Jaxon’s dad played 81 games for Essendon, so didn’t qualify Jaxon as a father-son, but eventually he comes back,” Scott said.

“He’s a player that’s fit into our system really well, I think he was very, very unlucky not to be part of a very good Brisbane side, he was only kept out by some very good players.

“We had a really identifiable need for the type of player that he is, he’s earned his spot.

“He can play wing, he can play back, he’s a beautiful distributor of the ball so we like him kicking inside 50. We’ve identified he can do all of that for us.”

Friday night’s clash would always have been highly anticipated on account of Club history, but with a large contingent of young talent available at the Bombers' selection table and the Hawks in good touch after Opening Round, Scott’s eager to see how his side fares in primetime footy.

“(Hawthorn’s) second half of the year was outstanding and they’ve carried that from through to the first game of the season for them,” Scott said in Tuesday morning’s press conference.

“They’ve done a terrific job, all credit to them and we’re looking forward to the game Friday night.

“Hopefully, so are the 90,000 people who are going to turn up.”