Essendon coach James Hird believes former Cat Mitch Brown and ex-St Kilda veteran Clint Jones are still capable of playing in the AFL.

The pair are among 13 top-up players drafted in by the Bombers for the NAB Challenge to serve as cover for the club's provisionally-suspended players who were awaiting their fate from the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal.

Brown and Jones were two of Essendon's best on Saturday during their 50-point loss to the Saints in Morwell and Hird indicated he would even consider recruiting Brown later in the year.

"Their clubs had reasons why they're not on their lists, and I'm not second-guessing those, but it was pretty obvious to me those two players can play AFL football," Hird said post-game.

"And I hope that in Mitch's case he gets another chance, because he showed to me today that we'd love him at our club the way he plays but that's obviously a long way away."