COLLINGWOOD has dropped Travis Cloke ahead of its Anzac Day blockbuster against Essendon.

He will instead line up for Collingwood's VFL side against Essendon at Victoria Park on Sunday afternoon.

"It's my opportunity to go back to the VFL squad and get a kick, and see what goes from there," Cloke told Channel Nine as he left the Westpac Centre after training on Saturday.

Upgraded rookie Josh Smith joins American Mason Cox as debutants, with defender Jack Frost also included.

Defender Tom Langdon was earlier withdrawn from the team with a knee injury with Jesse White the other omission from last week's loss to Melbourne.

Teams: this round's full line-ups

For Essendon, rebounding defender Courtenay Dempsey will play his first game of the season, while top-up ruckman Sam Grimley makes his Bombers debut.

Dempsey was suspended for the first three weeks of the season after a crude tackle on Richmond's Brett Deledio at the end of 2015.

Grimley played three games for Hawthorn in 2013 and was Essendon's eighth top-up player.

Patrick Ambrose has been omitted and Jayden Laverde is out for two months after injuring his shoulder in round four against Geelong.

Cox was upgraded from the rookie list ahead of last Sunday's game against Melbourne.

Coach Nathan Buckley said on Friday Cox will play as a forward and second ruckman.

Cox has picked up 87 hit-outs and kicked a pair of goals from two matches in the reserves this year.

He played Collingwood's first two pre-season games and particularly impressed against Geelong as a target up forward.

It will be the first time in 10 years that the Magpies head into the annual clash without Cloke, who has paid the price for poor form as his side slumped to a 1-3 start to 2016.

The dual All Australian has kicked five goals this season and is averaging just under five marks per game.

Cloke injured his right elbow against the Demons and has worn either strapping or compression bandaging on it all week.

Buckley refused to guarantee Cloke's place in the side when quizzed by reporters on Friday, and was reluctant to discuss the forward's form.

"I don't really want to focus on one player," Buckley said.

"If you're looking at the form across our team, there's a lot of players that need to lift.

"We need a better contest in the air. We haven't been getting as strong an aerial (presence) as we need to create front-and-centre opportunities for our crumbers."