ESSENDON coach Matthew Knights believes the evolution of the modern game has seen the rebirth of the high-scoring power forward.

On the back of Bombers skipper Matthew Lloyd's eight goals against Melbourne, a day after Hawthorn's Lance Franklin booted eight of his own against Collingwood, Knights has forecast a re-emergence.

He believes moving the ball on at all costs – demonstrated frequently by top-three sides Geelong, Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs – will emphasise again the work of a primary target in attack.

"Earlier in the year, the talk about the football world was that we're not going to see bags anymore because of the ability for players to flood back," he said on Saturday.

"But I think what you're seeing in the modern game is that most players are now really trying to move the ball on quickly to beat those numbers pushing back into space.

"What that's allowing is one-on-one isolations for some of our great forwards in the land, whether it be (Lance) Franklin or (Brendan) Fevola or Lloyd or Jonathan Brown.

"They're getting one-on-one isolations, and those guys are really difficult match-ups because they've got leap and strength and smarts.

"We're getting more one-on-ones in the forward half in the last six to eight weeks of footy."

Knights praised the performance of Lloyd, whose form came under scrutiny earlier this season, and said his recent output was a "credit to his diligence on the training track".

"He's embraced his role really aggressively across half-forward, his endurance suits that role because he can move around," he said.

"What it's allowed him to do is go to full-forward at times.

"He becomes a difficult match-up, whether he's high or deep forward. He's keeping his feet really well, is tackling aggressively and he's living in the moment.

"He's just flying for everything and I'm pleased that he is."

Knights added it was exciting to see the 30-year-old take a stunning mark in the third quarter, climbing above a pack of players including teammate Adam McPhee and Demon Brad Green.

"He came from nowhere, and it was a pure jump, a pure leap – there weren't any hands involved," he said.

"We had a bit of a laugh in the changerooms after the game. (Scott) Lucas pulled a goal out of the air a few weeks ago, and the other veteran tries to match him with a mark like that.

"It's exciting. It's one of the great parts of our game, the high mark, and to see a player who's played 10 to 12 years of footy climb that high probably shows there's a little bit of ping left in his legs."