ESSENDON coach John Worsfold could throw No.1 draft pick Andrew McGrath in the deep end against Hawthorn at the MCG on Saturday night.
The talented young defender will make his AFL debut against the Hawks and Worsfold said he won't be afraid to send him to four-time premiership forward Cyril Rioli if the need arises.
"If you want to be an AFL player don't put your hand up and say, 'Can you find me someone that's easy to play on?' ... I don't think Andy McGrath will ever ask that question," Worsfold told reporters on Friday.
"But if he gets that opportunity it's just a taste for him, it's just a start. He's going to continue to get better and be the player we know he's going to be.
"We weighed up how much work he's done, his age and how much he can add to the team as a young player ... in the end we felt he was the right person to come into the side and play that role for us."
The clash marks the return of six of the 10 players still at the club who served doping bans last year.
Worsfold agreed the returns of fan favourites Jobe Watson and Dyson Heppell, who have been put through the ringer as the supplements saga played out, would provide an emotional edge to the match.
"You're always a little bit nervous that they don't burn up too much nervous energy (before the game)," the coach said.
"But we've addressed that and kept things pretty much normal in the build up.
"The boys are ready to go, they're pumped for the game and they're going to have a real crack at it."
Hawthorn will celebrate the return of newly appointed skipper Jarryd Roughead after he missed last season as he battled cancer.
"We're not trying to win the emotional meter ... with Roughy being back obviously everyone in the game is rapt to see him healthy," Worsfold said.
"The fact that he's healthy and able to play footy again is a bonus for everyone."
The Hawks will be without star veteran Luke Hodge as he serves a club-imposed suspension for missing training.
The shock move was tipped by many to enhance Essendon's chances of an upset win, but Worsfold would have been just as happy if the four-time premiership player was on the field.
"If you're always relying on playing teams that are undermanned then you're not getting a real reflection of where you're at," he said.
"Hodge is out, we don't control that, and we'll take on who's there.
"If he was there that would be wonderful as well.
"You don't want to finish in the top four or the top eight having played the bottom team every week then saying, 'How good are we going?'
"You'll finish where you deserve to finish and that means you have to show what you can do against the best teams in the competition."
