FORMER Adelaide forward Jared Petrenko hopes his unexpected audition as a top-up player with Essendon in the NAB Challenge will reignite his AFL career.

The 25-year-old, who kicked 50 goals in 76 games for the Crows before being delisted at the end of last season, is among several former AFL players who have committed to the Bombers for the pre-season competition.

Essendon has had to find top-up players to field a team in the NAB Challenge while awaiting the findings of an AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal hearing into 18 current Bombers who have received infraction notices.

The players in question are serving provisional suspensions, and the remaining players on Essendon's 2012 playing list have withdrawn from the NAB Challenge to protect the anonymity of those charged.

Petrenko, who had since joined SANFL club Woodville-West Torrens, is excited by the opportunity that has been presented to him.

"It's just such a unique circumstance," he told AFL.com.au's new show First Bounce on Friday morning.

"Probably the biggest thing I want to get out of it is a bit of self-belief. I've done a full pre-season and I've probably only done one pre-season in the past four or five years. My body's feeling great and I think (the opportunity) has come at the right time.

"Hopefully I can prove to myself, and hopefully prove to other people, that I can still play at the level."

"People are saying, 'You never know how long it could be (at Essendon) for this year,' but I'll just do what I can for the next couple of weeks and show that it's not past me, and hopefully next year I can get another gig somewhere else."

Petrenko trained with St Kilda earlier in the pre-season before being overlooked.

"'Richo' (Saints coach Alan Richardson) rang me beforehand and just said, 'Don't put to much pressure on (yourself).' He said he knows what I'm capable of so I don't have to over-try to impress people.

"He rang me afterwards and said they were inclined to get Ahmed Saad back, and thanked me for my efforts and (told me) not to give up. I've only just turned 25, so you never know what could happen."