Essendon will welcome back small pressure forward Will Snelling in its Powercor Country Festival game against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium on Friday night.

Snelling, who recently signed a two-year contract extension, has recovered from a thumb injury that sidelined him for three matches.

He joins Tom Cutler as the Bombers' inclusions, with omitted pair Matt Guelfi and Brandon Zerk-Thatcher making way.

Guelfi, Zerk-Thatcher, David Zaharakis and Sam Durham have been listed as emergencies, with one to be named the medical sub an hour before the bounce.

Essendon and Geelong will face off from 7:50pm AEST, in what will mark the Bombers' first game at GMHBA Stadium for premiership points since 1993.

A VFL curtain raiser will be played between the two clubs at 4:10pm, with the match shown live on Kayo Freebies.

ESSENDON'S ROUND 16 LINE-UP:

Backs: Jayden Laverde, James Stewart, Jordan Ridley
Half-backs: Nick Hind, Mason Redman, Dyson Heppell (C)
Centreline: Nik Cox, Zach Merrett, Brayden Ham
Half-forwards: Devon Smith, Harrison Jones, Alec Waterman
Forwards: Jake Stringer, Cale Hooker, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti
Followers: Sam Draper, Darcy Parish, Kyle Langford
Interchange: Tom Cutler, Will Snelling, Archie Perkins, Peter Wright

Emergencies: David Zaharakis, Matt Guelfi, Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, Sam Durham

In: Cutler, Snelling

Out: Guelfi (omitted), Zerk-Thatcher (omitted)

Last week's sub: Zaharakis (not used)