Nik Cox and Harrison Jones will play their first AFL games, while trade acquisitions Jye Caldwell, Peter Wright and Nick Hind will make their Essendon debuts in Saturday night's season opener against Hawthorn at Marvel Stadium.
Senior coach Ben Rutten confirmed the exciting news in his media conference on Thursday morning, praising Jones and Cox for their ability to overcome recent adversity and earn their chances to shine on the big stage.
Jones, 19, endured a tough debut season in 2020 after suffering a foot stress fracture during the AFL shutdown period, while No.8 pick Cox has remarkably featured in all of the Bombers' pre-season matches after playing no under-18 games in 2020 like all Victorian draftees.
Rutten said Cox's progression in particular was outstanding.
"Nik Cox hasn't played a proper game of footy for about 18 months, so it's a huge effort from him," Rutten said.
"He's presented well, done nearly every session and really built his game over the last couple of weeks. We're looking forward to what he can do not only this week, but throughout the season. He'll keep getting better and better."
Jones will line up alongside former Gold Coast forward Wright in a new-look two-pronged attack, with the pair showing promising signs in Essendon's pre-season games against Carlton and Geelong.
Former Giant Caldwell has been earmarked for an inside midfield role in his third season, coming off a 24-disposal performance against the Cats in the AAMI Community Series.
Hind is set to return to the half-back role he starred in for the VFL Bombers, before making his mark at St Kilda as a forward.
The 26-year-old starred with 20 disposals and 407 metres gained against Geelong, before a minor shoulder injury cut short his night.
Essendon will go head to head with Hawthorn from 7:25pm on Saturday night, with the round one clash already sold out.
The Bombers will reveal their full line-up at 6:20pm on Friday.
