Essendon has named its side to take on Melbourne in Gather Round's Saturday night primetime slot.

With Jye Caldwell out due to a hamstring injury and Tom Edwards set to miss the remainder of the season with an ACL rupture, the Bombers have looked to bolster their midfield and forward stocks with two inclusions.

Will Setterfield has been named to make his first AFL appearance in 2025 following a solid return from injury via the VFL a fortnight ago, while Archie Perkins also reclaims his spot in the senior side after successfully recovering from a quad strain in round two.

Elijah Tsatas will be among the Dons' emergencies this week, which also includes two uncapped youngsters in Lewis Hayes and Archer Day-Wicks.

Essendon are hoping to move to a 2-2 record in 2025 when they face the Dees, with game time from Adelaide Oval at 7:35pm AEST on Saturday night.