ESSENDON has dropped out of form forward Scott Lucas after the veteran again struggled in his side's loss to the Brisbane Lions on Saturday night.

Coach Mathew Knights said on Tuesday that Lucas has been given the option of either turning out for Essendon's VFL affiliate the Bendigo Bombers this weekend or taking a week off from football altogether.

"We feel as a match committee we need to break the cycle that he's in at the moment so he can go back and have a bit of a relief," Knights said ahead of his side's clash with Hawthorn on Friday night.

"Whether he has this weekend off both physically and mentally and then comes back in the VFL the following week or he plays VFL this week we haven't decided yet.

"It's very much about breaking the cycle so he can go away, regain some form and then come back and make a really good impact for the team in the second half of the season.

"It was fairly clear-cut. We just feel that it's the best way to go to release this pressure valve so we can see the real Scott Lucas again."

Knights said Lucas was disappointed, but "very measured and pretty calm" when told about the decision on Tuesday morning.

"He's fairly pragmatic and he's very understanding; he's been in football for a long time and he understands the way it works. He acknowledges his form isn't where he'd like it to be," he said.

"He's a very experienced man and he knows what he has to do, and hopefully sooner rather than later he gets that form and touch back so he can come back in because we really need him."

Former Essendon captain James Hird questioned the cautious way Lucas was handled over the pre-season on Foxtel's On The Couch on Monday night, stating the club should have focused on building his fitness more.

Knights denied the approach influenced Lucas' current form, and said he was satisfied with how the goalkicker was managed throughout summer.

"We were very patient with Scott playing through the NAB Cup and we made sure that we wouldn't play him until he got cleared medically," he said.

"The way he's been handled by our medical and rehabilitation staff has been fine and he's declared himself 100 per cent fit every week for the last six weeks, and you take a guy like him on his merit because he's very honest."

Knights said playing Lucas in defence wasn't an option as it would deviate from the club's long-term plan to groom young backmen Tayte Pears, Cale Hooker, David Myers, Michael Hurley and Darcy Daniher.

In other selection news from Windy Hill, Mark McVeigh has already been ruled out of this week's meeting with the Hawks while Hurley and Daniher will return from injury through the VFL.

Jay Neagle and John Williams will be looked at as potential replacements for Lucas, and ruckman Tom Bellchambers is a chance to come in to allow Paddy Ryder to spend time down back in the absence of Dustin Fletcher.

Former Geelong player Brent Prismall will make his return to the field this weekend when he lines up for the Bendigo Bombers.

Prismall had a reconstruction after injuring his knee against St Kilda in last year's final series.