Essendon veteran Mark McVeigh believes the Bombers will hit the ground running in this year's home-and-away season as a result of its surprising good early season form in the NAB Cup.

The Bombers take on St Kilda in the first semi-final of the pre-season competition on Friday night at Telstra Dome and McVeigh said getting the chance to stay in the competition for so long had given the players valuable experience under their new coach Matthew Knights.

And McVeigh said given that Knights is the club's first new coach since 1981, following the record reign of Kevin Sheedy, it was vital the Bombers got the opportunity to adjust to his new game plan before the start of the home-and-away season.

"We are starting to see now how he coaches and we are starting to see what he wants from the players," McVeigh said.

"If we were just playing in the regional challenge games you would trial a lot of stuff whereas staying in the NAB Cup we have been able to get players in their right position for round one."

"So I think we have seen a lot of stuff from 'Knighta' that perhaps we wouldn't have seen if we had been knocked out early."

McVeigh said the form of the Bombers' youngsters during the NAB Cup had boosted the morale of all the senior players who were frustrated by the club missing the finals for the past three seasons - the club's longest run of outs since the late 1970s.

"We have been down the bottom for a few years now and it's great to see guys with enthusiasm coming into the club and it gives you a real belief that down the track there might be some success had by Essendon," he said.

"It really is exciting at the moment because there has been a big change in the club and we are really impressed with our new draftees and the guys that have been around for two or three years."

"It's been impressive from a group of guys that are looking to go somewhere and it's just been great for the whole club to get some confidence going into round one."