The whirlwind football journeys of two Collingwood rookies will reach their crescendo when they run out onto the MCG on ANZAC Day.

American ruckman Mason Cox and Queensland onballer Josh Smith will receive a baptism of footballing fire against Essendon after the match committee named them in their final 22-man squad.

They join defender Jack Frost as the three inclusions to Monday’s team.

Tom Langdon was ruled out on Saturday morning due to a knee complaint, while premiership forward Travis Cloke has been omitted.

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Defender Jesse White’s omission was announced on Thursday evening.

Cloke will remain one of his side’s three emergencies, taking his place alongside Brayden Maynard and Matthew Goodyear.

Cox’s story is remarkable, for he only picked up a Sherrin in May 2014 and has played just 21 VFL games and three NAB Challenge games in the time since.

But he is well and truly ready to make his mark on the AFL, having won 51 hitouts in the ruck against the Casey Scorpions in the VFL last week.

He’s already proven that he is not just a ruckman. Standing 211cm tall, Cox is difficult to counter when playing at full forward. He kicked 17 goals in 20 VFL games last year, including a haul of five against Richmond late in the season.

At the other end of the scale is Smith. At just 181cm, he is a good 30cm smaller than Cox, but his form has been just as impressive since arriving at the Holden Centre just four months ago.

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He is averaging 21.5 disposals in the opening two rounds of the VFL season, this despite spending most of March on the sidelines due to a foot injury sustained during the NAB Challenge.

The 22-year-old was recruited from Queensland club Redland, for whom he averaged 28.7 disposals last season.

For Cloke, Sunday will mark his first appearance in the VFL since round 15, 2006, when he represented Collingwood’s then-VFL affiliate Williamstown against the Casey Scorpions.

He has been remarkably durable in the years since, missing just 16 of Collingwood’s last 229 games due to injury or suspension.

The club's VFL team will take on Essendon at Victoria Park at 2.10pm on Sunday. Collingwood Media will be covering the match with a live radio broadcast on collingwoodfc.com.au and in the club's official smart phone App.

Cloke’s omission will see the Magpies operate with a new-look forward line on Monday.

Height is the order of the day. The 211cm Cox has been named at full forward and the 200cm Darcy Moore at centre half forward. Jeremy Howe, 190cm, has been named in a forward pocket.

Collingwood's team includes eight players who are yet to play on ANZAC Day.

James Aish, Jordan De Goey, Levi Greenwood, Adam Treloar, Cox, Howe, Moore and Smith will all run out on the biggest day of the home and away calendar for the first time.

Collingwood v Essendon
Round 5 2016
Monday 25 April
MCG, 3.20pm

Collingwood
B: Jack Frost, Nathan Brown, Alan Toovey
HB: Adam Oxley, Ben Reid, Josh Smith
C: Jack Crisp, Adam Treloar, Steele Sidebottom
HF: Travis Varcoe, Darcy Moore, Levi Greenwood
F: Alex Fasolo, Mason Cox, Jeremy Howe
Foll: Brodie Grundy, Scott Pendlebury, Taylor Adams
Int: Jordan De Goey, Jarryd Blair, James Aish, Ben Sinclair
Emg: Matthew Goodyear, Travis Cloke, Brayden Maynard

IN: Mason Cox, Jack Frost, Josh Smith
OUT: Tom Langdon (knee), Travis Cloke, Jesse White (omitted)
NEW: Mason Cox (25, Oklahoma State University), Josh Smith (22, Redland)