Essendon has named eight inclusions to a 26-man squad for Sunday's clash with Hawthorn at UTAS Stadium.

Sam Draper (ruck), Devon Smith (half-forward), Tom Cutler (wing) and Brandon Zerk-Thatcher (full-back) have been named in senior coach Ben Rutten's starting 18, while fellow inclusions Sam Durham, Peter Wright, Ned Cahill and Zach Reid are on an eight-man interchange that will be trimmed to four.

MATCH PREVIEW: HAWKS v BOMBERS

The Bombers have lost Andrew McGrath (knee), David Zaharakis (hamstring) and Alec Waterman (calf) to injury, while Aaron Francis (managed) is taking time away from the club until next week with the club's full support.

Patrick Ambrose, who came on as a medical substitute against Richmond, has been omitted.

04:00

Rd 14 | Squad selection

Senior coach Ben Rutten takes us through the squad to face Hawthorn in Tasmania in round 14.

Should he be named in Essendon's final team on Friday, Durham will become the club's seventh AFL debutant this season.

Selected in the mid-season draft just two weeks ago, the former Richmond VFL midfielder has hit the ground running in his new colours.

01:36

Mid-season draft | Sam Durham highlights

Highlights of our pick 9 from the 2021 NAB AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft, Sam Durham.

The return of Draper will also be a welcome sight for Bombers fans, with the emerging ruckman starting the season strongly before succumbing to a syndesmosis injury against Port Adelaide in round two.

The Bombers will name their 22-man team at 5pm AEST on Friday, with Sunday's game to mark the club's first in Tasmania for premiership points since round 17, 1992.

ESSENDON'S ROUND 14 SQUAD:

Backs: Jayden Laverde, Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, Jordan Ridley
Half-backs: Mason Redman, James Stewart. Dyson Heppell (C)
Centre: Kyle Langford, Zach Merrett, Tom Cutler
Half-forwards: Archie Perkins, Harrison Jones, Devon Smith
Forwards: Jake Stringer, Cale Hooker, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti
Followers: Sam Draper, Darcy Parish, Brayden Ham
Interchange from: Nick Hind, Nik Cox, Matt Guelfi, Ned Cahill, Andrew Phillips, Zach Reid, Sam Durham, Peter Wright

In: Smith, Draper, Cutler, Zerk-Thatcher, Durham, Wright, Cahill, Reid

Out: McGrath (knee), Zaharakis (hamstring), Francis (personal reasons), Waterman (calf), Ambrose (omitted)

Last game's sub: Ambrose (used)

Milestone: Redman - 50 AFL games