MORE than a year after playing his first AFL game, Sam Lonergan felt like Essendon's season-opener against the Kangaroos was his debut all over again.

Lonergan, who turned 21 on Wednesday, impressed as the new-look Bombers started the season with a 55-point win over the Kangaroos at Telstra Dome last Monday.

The young midfielder had previously played for the club's senior side in round 15, 2006, when he was a late inclusion.

Lonergan played in that match after a hard training session earlier in the day and managed about half an hour on the field as the Saints overran Essendon at the MCG to win by three points.

After an ankle injury and a knee injury wrecked last season, Monday represented a whole new start.

"I had a taste of it and didn't get back in there for 18 months, that was probably the hardest thing for me," he said.

"I treated it (last Monday) pretty-much as a debut – my first game, I came in as an emergency basically an hour before the game.

"That morning, the VFL wasn't playing so I'd done match simulation training for an hour.

"To get called into the team an hour-and-a-half after I'd just been doing a session in the pouring rain, that's the reason I only played 35-40 minutes."

Lonergan and his teammates face another stern test on Sunday when they play premiers Geelong at Telstra Dome.

New coach Matthew Knights has promised his young side will not be intimidated and Lonergan is keenly awaiting the challenge.

"Geelong are the top of the food chain at the moment ... it will be a great challenge for a young side like ourselves to see where we're at," he said.

"Whether we come out with a win or loss, to see where our development is heading is the main focus.

"I guess what gets me excited and amazed is just the resilience that our side had (against North).

"For the next three, five years, the guys we've got at the club are all going to be pretty hard-working players."

Lonergan also had to show plenty of resilience last year, especially when a torn medial ligament at round 15 in the VFL ended his season.

He was coming out of contract, but the Bombers showed faith by giving him another year, even before Knights had taken over as coach.

"I've been on an AFL list, going into my third year – (but) it's more exciting, with the young players and young coaches, the fresh feel at the club," he said.

"On an individual basis, it's definitely a very important season for myself."

Knights had coached Lonergan in the VFL before taking over as senior coach and said the midfielder, whom the Bombers liken to a young Jason Johnson, is potentially a major asset for the club.

"Sam's taken enormous belief out of the game because until you play at AFL level and get the respect of your peers and so forth, some players don't believe there's an acceptance there," Knights said.

"I think he went part of the way for people understanding Sam may have some attributes to assist our team."