ESSENDON is set to welcome back a slew of stars for Sunday’s JLT Community Series clash against Geelong in Colac, with Michael Hurley, Cale Hooker, David Myers and Orazio Fantasia all set to play their first pre-season games.

Star midfielder Zach Merrett, who was forced from the field following a head knock against the Tigers in the club’s first pre-season game, has also been cleared to play.

Bombers high performance manager Justin Crow said Merrett had recovered well following the knock against Richmond in Wangaratta on February 24.

"Zach got a little clip to the head early in the game, he had some blurred vision, so (he) was obviously assessed by our doctors and was unable to return to the match," Crow said.

"On the Monday following that game he did a good training session and has been back in the full program since then."

Crow said Hurley, Hooker, Myers and Fantasia would all be ready to play against the Cats.

"Hurls, Cale Hooker, David Myers, Orazio – those players who weren't playing in JLT 1 – were back here in Melbourne," Crow said.

"They did 12.5km of good, solid football work – more than they would have got in the JLT match – and they will all be available for the JLT 2 game coming up in Colac."

Crow said speedy forward Travis Colyer would miss at least the first month of the season with a foot injury.

"We have a few guys progressing through rehab, you've got Travis Colyer who with his sesamoid (foot) injury will be back on the AlterG (treadmill) in three to four weeks," he said.

"He’s tracking towards approximately a round six or round seven return to football."

Meanwhile, the Bombers will know more about how hamstrung forward Jayden Laverde is tracking in the next fortnight.

"We'll scan that (hamstring) to check the tendon healing in a fortnight and have a better idea about when we can play him again after that," Crow said.

"He's doing some nice running volume in the meantime at lower speeds."