Brent Stanton was given a taste of finals football in his first AFL season back in 2004.

Now, after four years of bitter disappointment, the Essendon midfielder is ravenous for more.

Should Port Adelaide lose to Brisbane on Saturday night, the Bombers can secure eighth spot on the table with a win over Fremantle at Subiaco Oval on Sunday.

Stanton, now with 118 games to his name, said while the team was concentrating on the job at hand, it was hard not to look at the bigger picture.

"Unfortunately we haven't made finals for four years, which is a big thing at Essendon," Stanton said.

"We'd like to see ourselves as a successful team and we really wanted to implant that in our younger players this year.

"The four years we haven't played in finals has certainly made the team hungry,

"I know I've been hungry ever since I played those two finals in my first year.

"It's sort of a driving point as well."

In a sign of Essendon's massive list overhaul in recent years, only five of the players that featured in their 2004 semi-final loss to Geelong will play against the Dockers on Sunday.

Those are Stanton, Jobe Watson, Mark McVeigh, Dustin Fletcher and Andrew Welsh.

Stanton said it was vital for the Bombers to reach the finals this year ahead of what he hopes will be a successful period for the club.

"In my first year I was pretty young (when I played those finals) and all I can remember is the intensity and the speed of the game goes to a different level," he said.

"The experience I got out of that was enormous and I think I've built on my game since then, just to know where I have to get to perform in finals football.

"It would be fantastic if the team could go through that experience.

"If that reward comes after round 22, it will come."

Stanton said the Bombers had gained enormous belief out of last week's shock win over high-flying St Kilda.

And he was adamant complacency wouldn't be an issue against a Dockers outfit that was smashed to the tune of 63 points by Melbourne last week.

"We know we still have a big job ahead of us," he said.

"Fremantle are a fantastic side over in Perth and no doubt we have to play our best footy over there to come away with the four points.

"We are treating them like a top-eight side, which they can play like when they're back in Perth.

"The criticism they copped will fire them up."

The Bombers made two enforced changes for the game, replacing injured duo Courtenay Dempsey (hamstring) and Paddy Ryder (knee) with Cale Hooker and Jason Winderlich.

The Dockers welcomed back defender Roger Hayden, feisty forward Hayden Ballantyne and Clancee Pearce for Dean Solomon (knee), Brett Peake (omitted) and Jay van Berlo (omitted).

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