Long played an instrumental role in the 'Baby Bombers' achieving the ultimate success 24 years ago, in what was one of the most even seasons of the modern era, winning the Norm Smith Medal as Essendon thumped Carlton by 44 points in the 1993 grand final.

The 2017 season is shaping up as possibly the most even season in living memory, with just two games separating first and 10th on the ladder after nine rounds, and it's that hot competition for spots that has Long daring to dream.

"I think there's a good mix there at the moment," Long said of the Essendon team.

"You've got to get the mix right with youth and speed and strength and experience. I think some of those signs are there, but it's at every club too. There's a lot of youth at sides and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't because you can have too much inexperience on the ground.

"But if you can tweak and get it right - anything can happen, anything's possible.

"I think it's quite open this year. Essendon are in the mix and the way they're playing I think their form shows that, but there's still halfway to go yet."

Of more immediate concern for Essendon is a blockbuster meeting with Richmond in the traditional Dreamtime at the 'G clash on Saturday night.

In his post-playing days, Long has become a central figure to reconciliation in Australia and he admitted that it "takes you back" to see how far the game has come and how big the Dreamtime concept has become in 12 years with a whole round now devoted to recognising the contribution Indigenous players have made to footy.

"It's opened up opportunity and pathway for players that have come from the Tiwi Islands to where the game is now - the amount of players that are playing our great game of ours. It's a celebration," Long said.

Long was involved in a watershed moment in the game's history when he was racially vilified by Collingwood ruckman Damian Monkhorst in the drawn 1995 Anzac Day game. The incident paved the way for the AFL's groundbreaking racial anti-vilification policy.

"That's probably part of the whole process," Long said.

"That's all part of how the game has led the way in a lot of ways in terms of changing what's happened on our field and in the grandstands and the players have done that and the football clubs have done that and they have to be congratulated.

"But more so, they continue to do it. There's a consensus around all cubs and players that this is not part of our great game of ours ... no doubt there's an unwritten thing that this is not acceptable in our game."

Despite the huge strides the AFL has made in stamping out racial and religious vilification from both inside and outside the fence, Long said there can always be more done to eradicate it from the game.

"We all make mistakes, and we learn by that and clubs reinforce that and players reinforce that this is unacceptable," he said.

"It'd be great if we live in a perfect world, but we don't and I think rounds like this weekend do make a difference like it does with Anzac Day to our history and our fallen ones."

Essendon star Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti said that growing up watching the Dreamtime matches, he always wanted to play in one and he will play in his second one this weekend .

"It's a good opportunity for myself and others players in other teams to represent where you're from and your people and your culture," he said.