ADAM Ramanauskas' long exile from football is set to end this weekend with a comeback appearance for Essendon's VFL affiliate, Bendigo, on Sunday.

Ramanauskas' name is expected to appear on a team sheet tonight for the first time in two years, in which time he has recovered from a serious knee injury (2005) and overcome a recurrence of the cancer in his neck and shoulder for which he was first treated in 2003.

Fortuitously, Bendigo's match against Sandringham has been moved from the drought-affected Queen Elizabeth Oval in Bendigo to Windy Hill, which should ensure the 26-year-old makes his return before a healthy crowd keen to watch the result of a remarkable show of persistence.

The 2000 premiership wingman last played an official match in 2005, for Essendon against Hawthorn at the MCG in the third round of that season. Three nights later he injured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee at training and required a knee reconstruction.

Dogged by the return of the cancerous growths and the debilitating treatment that followed last year, Ramanauskas lost his place on the senior list but has remained with the Dons as a special category of rookie.

A mild hamstring strain delayed an earlier comeback this year but Ramanauskas trained strongly last night, which was the last test he needed to pass to be selected.

One who didn't train strongly was Jason Winderlich, who is unlikely to play against St Kilda on Saturday or Collingwood four days later because of a hamstring strain. A much improved performer so far this season as a quick half-back flanker and midfielder, Winderlich only ran laps at training.

With the Saints depleted by injury, especially in defence where Matt Maguire and Max Hudghton are both missing due to injury, Courtney Johns could be the player to replace Winderlich in the 22.

The strongly built key forward kicked seven goals for Bendigo last weekend and Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy said yesterday that he was interested in trying to test the Saints' defence for height and power.

Sheedy described Johns as a good chance for his first game of the season on Saturday and said he didn't think it would be a top-heavy problem if Johns joined Matthew Lloyd and Scott Lucas inside Essendon's forward line.

"They've got to find someone to beat them. So let's have a look at that, maybe," Sheedy said.

Jason Johnson and Scott Camporeale, who also played well for Bendigo, aren't candidates to replace Winderlich, said Sheedy, who added that he wanted to be patient with Johnson, a two-time Crichton medallist who endured a wretched season last year after making a premature return from injury.

"He'll play in the VFL again. We're not going to go down the path we did last year, bring him back too early and hurt his confidence. I'm not going to have that happen to him again," Sheedy said.

James Hird, on the other hand, will definitely play against the Saints, Sheedy said, whether or not playing means he might not play against Collingwood on Anzac Day.

"He'll play against St Kilda," Sheedy said of his 34-year-old former captain and three-time Anzac Day medallist.

"We take the four points against St Kilda as the most crucial. We're not even worried about that (Anzac Day) game yet.

"We would be doing a disservice to our fans and footy in general if James Hird didn't play.

"It would be an absolute insult to St Kilda, that we're kidding ourselves.

"Hird's selected to play and it's as simple as that."