Essendon can expect a boost ahead of this Friday night's clash against in-form Hawthorn, with defender Cale Hooker set to return.

Hooker is poised to bolster the Bombers' defence after overcoming a hamstring injury, according to coach Matthew Knights.

"We expect him to play," Knights said.

"He actually did all the training last week.

"Obviously with (Lance) Franklin and (Jarryd) Roughead being real nemeses in the (Hawthorn) forward line for any backline I think Cale's pretty important this week as well as Dustin (Fletcher) and Tayte (Pears).

"It's going to be great to have Cale back because he was probably our form backman before he went out of the team."

Essendon is coming off a 71-point wipeout against Geelong while the Hawks continue to power their way into the eight, chalking up a 47-point victory over Adelaide in Launceston.

"I think it's a huge game, there's no question about that," Knights said.

"We got Hawthorn's number early in the year but their last four or five weeks have certainly been a lot more decisive, a lot more like the Hawthorn of the premiership year (2008).

"I think what they have done, they've got their best players back in form and probably the six or seven top players, when they're all in form together they're a fairly imposing unit.

"I thought we've been in really good form, just in the second half the other night we dropped our structures away and we couldn't quite get our game going with any spark.

"We've just got to re-invent that this week and we're all looking forward to Friday night.

"I expect a great contest and in the midfield is probably where the sway is going to be."

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