Essendon will invite its past players and call on its supporters to rally behind the Club and Make a Stand for the future.

The new campaign is a call to arms for all Essendon supporters to not only Don the Sash and sign up as a member but also stand up together at the Bombers first home game of the season against Melbourne in Round 2 at the MCG.

Essendon CEO Xavier Campbell said the fans had played a major role in developing the campaign.

“It became clear to us that our members and supporters really wanted to do something to help the Club and make a stand for our future,” Campbell said.

“There is no doubt it has been a challenging period for our members and we understand it has been really difficult to be an Essendon supporter during the ongoing issues.

“This initiative is about giving our supporter base the opportunity to stand up together, make a stand for our Club, for our players - both suspended and playing this year - and for our future.”

As an important part of the campaign, Essendon is calling on its members and supporters to stand up with its past players and make a stand at the MCG against Melbourne in Round 2.

“At 2pm ahead of our Round 2 match against Melbourne, we want all of our proud members and supporters to stand up for our Club,” Campbell said.

“The first moment we see the team run out will be an emotional and symbolic one. It will stay with Bombers supporters for the rest of their lives. Needless to say, if you’re a Bombers supporter, you need to be there.

“As the players come up the race just after 2pm, we want to let them know we are right behind them and the Essendon Football Club is going to stand together for our future.

“Representing the past, present and the future, a number of our past players will be waiting on the ground and with the current players will make a stand by walking through the banner together.

For those that can’t make it to the game, a social media initiative will showcase fans around the world making a stand for the club they love. But for those that are able to make it, it’s a game they won’t want to miss.

All supporters are asked to be in their seats by 1:45pm to be part of the opening presentation. You can secure your seat to the game by standing up and becoming a member in 2016.