ESSENDON coach Matthew Knights believes he "never has and never will" set his free-scoring players an amount of goals to reach during a game, and will remain satisfied if they simply continue to improve each week.

The Bombers, who have kicked 19 and 23 goals in their two wins this season, have been seen as an attacking and exciting side to watch as they take on a new game plan from their rookie coach.

But Knights said his intentions for the side didn't necessarily involve how many majors they could score each game, but rather how the players advanced from week to week.

"My philosophy is, if we win 10 goals to eight, fantastic, and if we win 20 goals to 18, fantastic," he said.

"As long as we're endeavouring to improve weekly on developing our game plan and our style, both offensively and defensively and attacking that aggressively, that's what we'll do on a weekly basis.

"What flows from that on the weekend, you're not quite sure and everything is a bonus at this stage. We've got a young coaching and playing group that hasn't been together long.

"We're attacking the game, we're all gaining confidence within each other, and we'll come out and play hard again on the weekend and see what happens."

Knights was unable to predict if the Bombers' Friday night encounter with the pacy Bulldogs would turn into a shoot-out, but guaranteed a "very entertaining and very challenging" match regardless.

“The Western Bulldogs last week played very good footy after quarter-time, and their pressure and their tackling was first rate," he said.

"Obviously an area we're working on constantly is to become better defensively as well as continuing to work on our offence as well.

"It's hard to say whether it will or it won't be, but sometimes as a young side, we'll be better defensively some weeks than others.

"Therefore we'll just keep working at it and try to be better with all parts of our game and what flows from that, I'm not actually sure."

Jobe Watson said on Monday that Knights' pre-existing relationship with the players, forged through his former role at the helm of the Bendigo Bombers, helped smooth the transition between coaches after Kevin Sheedy moved on.

Knights agreed with Watson's sentiments, and added that spending quality time with his players also helped in communicating game related plans.

"One, it was a bonus to have a relationship with most of the players before I took the role," he said.

"Secondly, I do believe it's in my best interest to spend as much time with the players one-on-one as possible. At times, I get disappointed because I don't do enough of that because of the jam of six-day breaks and so forth.

"I get disappointed when I don't spend enough time with them, and I guess what I'm saying is, it is one of my priorities."

Knights said ruckman David Hille was expected to play this week after "coming up well" from a pinched neck nerve, while Nathan Lovett-Murray and Andrew Welsh both participated in training on Tuesday at Windy Hill.

Lovett-Murray is a chance to return to the seniors this week after overcoming a groin injury while Welsh, who is on the road back from a hamstring strain, is expected to play in the VFL.

In other injury news, former rookie Heath Hocking will be sidelined for at least 10 weeks after being booked in for adductor release surgery later this week.