Prescott’s team faces up to Geelong on Sunday afternoon at Docklands, and with the Cats yet to drop a game and the Bombers also in the top four, a sellout crowd is expected for the clash.
Essendon midfielder Mark McVeigh is back with Scott Lucas a possibility, while the Cats have recalled power forward Cameron Mooney, Darren Milburn and Shannon Byrnes.
The Bombers gave St Kilda a fright a couple of weeks ago, and Prescott said the opportunity to measure themselves against the other top side in the competition was terrific.
“[Geelong] are such a good side, so even across the board,” Prescott said at Windy Hill on Friday morning.
“To come in against a side like Geelong is a big challenge, but it’s certainly a challenge that we believe, as long as we all contribute, we can perform well in.”
Prescott said the ability of the team to put defensive pressure on across the ground was a key to their good start to the season.
“The whole team is helping each other out – I think defensively we have made some ground, and are helping our young defence.
“Because defence does start in the forward line, it does start in the midfield, so I think it’s more an even contribution from the 22 that are running out there.
“I think that gets back to selection pressure – the list is in a pretty healthy state, and everyone that runs out knows they need to play their role in the team.
“Our defensive pressure needs to be really through the roof to put as much pressure as we can on the Geelong ball carrier, and also your ability to hit your targets when you’re going forward is critical against Geelong.
“They do start a lot of their attacks through their defensive half.”
McVeigh said having to earn his spot in the side after a long layoff was a real positive for the young Bombers.
“From a personal point of view it’s the first time you’ve felt pressure to earn your spot, which is a great thing to build in the football club,” he said.
“(Coach) Matthew Knights showed a fair bit of faith in me and sat down with me and asked me what I’d like to do, and I felt as if I needed to earn my spot.
“Last year, most of us senior guys would just come straight in, we’d just go straight into the side, but because our young players have developed so quickly, and although they’ve still got a lot to go, they’ve certainly put selection pressure on the senior players.”
The 28-year-old said coming back through the VFL was designed to make sure he wouldn’t break down again as he did in round four.
“I wanted to run out and play the game and feel no pain at all, I wanted to be able to step around opponents and be tackled hard – which I did a few times, the VFL boys went after me – and I felt I passed no worries.
“The best thing for me was being able to run at full-tilt the next day.”
