Expect James Hird to again do his bit to spark Essendon against Collingwood in Friday's Anzac Day AFL blockbuster at the MCG.

Although happily retired, Hird could still play a role in the Bombers' preparation, with coach Matthew Knights considering inviting the former star to talk to his players about the biggest game of the home and away season.

No other player has ever matched Hird's lustre on Anzac Day.

In 10 Anzac matches, he averaged 24 disposals and two goals, and won best-afield honours three times.

This year will be the first time Essendon play the Magpies on the national holiday without both Hird and former coach Kevin Sheedy, which prompted Knights to consider calling on one of the club's greats to focus on the day's significance.

"James and I speak on the phone every two or three weeks and I will give him a call at some stage this week," Knights said.

"Whether he'll be involved in Friday, we'll leave that to Friday.

"But someone the ilk of James and the legacy he's left and the iconic figure he is, you never know, we may get him involved."

Following in Sheedy's footsteps, Knights said he would "cherish" coaching such a big game so early in his career, and that his side was itching for the chance to play before a huge crowd.

Collingwood and Essendon are locked on six wins in this fixture after the 1995 draw, and adding to this year's importance, both have won two games and lost three in 2008.

The Magpies will take in greater big-game experience, but Knights was hopeful his young players took in their own advantage.

"Maybe youthful exuberance will over-shadow that," he said.

"Sure they've (Collingwood) got more experience, they ran Geelong to the wire in that prelim (last year), but what we have this year, we're playing in front of big crowds...

"Nothing like this, but we should cherish this, the MCG - the greatest stadium in the world - playing in front of 95,000 to 100,000 people, it's going to be fantastic."

Essendon will recall forward Courtney Johns to provide another target in attack alongside Matthew Lloyd, whose patchy season includes one bag of six goals and one of four, but two games without a major.

Knights had no worries about his skipper's form after a limited pre-season, and put more focus on Lloyd's contributions to the team than his goal tally.

He also dismissed the message coming from Collingwood, that the Magpies needed a break after a busy start to the season, especially after key players Alan Didak, Anthony Rocca and Dane Swan trained only lightly on Tuesday.

"I don't think they're struggling too much," Knights said.

"I've got Scott Lucas, Mark McVeigh, Sam Lonergan, Courtenay Dempsey, Leroy Jetta (all injured) - they'd play at the moment on one leg and off a three-day break.

"I'm not sure Collingwood are too beaten up, to be brutally honest.

"They were one kick away from beating the Kangaroos last week, so they're in pretty good shape."

Johns came in for Nathan Lovett-Murray, who was dropped following the loss to St Kilda.

The Magpies named Swan, Didak and Rocca to play, but captain Scott Burns will miss because of calf soreness, which means ruckman Josh Fraser will again lead the side.

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