Jobe Watson, Michael Hurley, new captain Dyson Heppell, David Myers, Travis Colyer, Heath Hocking and Ben Howlett have all been included in an extended 29-man squad.

The players were suspended for the entire 2016 season, along with 27 other past and present Bombers, for their involvement in the club's ill-fated supplements program.

The three other active Essendon players who served a 12-month ban – Tom Bellchambers, Brent Stanton and Cale Hooker – will sit out the practice match.

Joining that trio in the stands will be Joe Daniher, Michael Hartley and Conor McKenna.

And there's more cause for excitement for Bombers fans with reigning No.1 draft pick Andrew McGrath named in the squad too, along with new recruits Josh Green and James Stewart, who joined Essendon from the Brisbane Lions and GWS respectively.

The Magpies will have plenty to look forward to as well with Jamie Elliott included in their squad. The small forward missed the entire 2016 season due to a back injury.

New recruits Chris Mayne (Fremantle), Lynden Dunn (Melbourne), Will Hoskin-Elliott (GWS) and Henry Schade (Gold Coast) are also in line to make their official Collingwood debuts while much-hyped father-son selection Josh Daicos has been named in the squad.

Lachie Keeffe could return to an AFL field for the first time since 2014 after serving a two-year doping ban while Matthew Scharenberg and Jackson Ramsay have been declared fit after they too were sidelined for virtually the whole of last season due to knee injuries.

Collingwood will be without senior players Taylor Adams, Brodie Grundy, Scott Pendlebury, Ben Reid, Adam Treloar and Daniel Wells.

Both clubs will trim their squads to 26 players for the match.

Essendon squad

1. Andrew McGrath, 3. Darcy Parish, 4. Jobe Watson, 7. Zach Merrett, 8. Martin Gleeson, 9. Brendon Goddard, 11. David Zaharakis, 12. Mark Baguley, 13. Orazio Fantasia, 15. Josh Green, 17. James Stewart, 18. Michael Hurley, 20. Jackson Merrett, 21. Dyson Heppell, 22. Matthew Leuenberger, 23. David Myers, 24. Craig Bird, 28. Mitch Brown, 29. Patrick Ambrose, 30. Kyle Langford, 32. Travis Colyer, 33. Jayden Laverde, 34. Jake Long, 39. Heath Hocking, 40. Ben Howlett, 43. Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, 44. Shaun McKernan, 47. James Kelly, 49. Matt Dea

Collingwood squad

1. Alex Fasolo, 2. Jordan De Goey, 5. Jamie Elliott, 6. Tyson Goldsack, 9. Jesse White, 11. Jarryd Blair, 12. Matthew Scharenberg, 14. James Aish, 15. Lynden Dunn, 16. Chris Mayne, 18. Travis Varcoe, 19. Levi Greenwood, 21. Tom Phillips, 22. Steele Sidebottom, 23. Lachlan Keeffe, 25. Jack Crisp, 26. Josh Daicos, 28. Ben Sinclair, 30. Darcy Moore, 31. Jackson Ramsay, 32. Will Hoskin-Elliott, 37. Brayden Maynard, 38. Jeremy Howe, 40. Josh Smith, 41. Henry Schade, 43. Adam Oxley, 44. Liam Mackie, 45. Max Lynch, 46. Mason Cox