Essendon will make as many as six changes to their side for the AFL Anzac Day blockbuster to compensate for the short four-day turnaround.

The Bombers’ confidence is soaring after the shock 30-point win over Carlton on Saturday, but their injury problems continue.

Coach James Hird said key forward Michael Hurley will “almost certainly” miss Wednesday’s traditional clash against Collingwood after suffering a hamstring injury against the Blues.

Mark McVeigh, Jake Carlisle, Courtenay Dempsey, David Myers, Nathan Lovett-Murray and David Hille are other players who missed the Carlton game because of soft-tissue injuries.

Hird said the Bombers would make several changes to freshen up the team for Wednesday’s game at the MCG, the AFL’s biggest home-and-away clash of the season.

“You’d have to think that out of that 22, there would be five or six who probably who won’t get up for the Collingwood time … just because of the nature of the game,” he said.

“It was a very hard, contested game.”

Hird added Dempsey, Carlisle, Kyle Reimers and Travis Colyer could all return to the side.

The Bombers’ rash of early-season injuries relates to a big emphasis during the pre-season on weights training and they make no apologies for trying to build more physical strength.

“Sometimes when you want to get better you have to train harder and push the body to the limit,” Hird said.

The Bombers were ecstatic with Saturday’s win, particularly given that they were $8 outsiders pre-match.

They put Carlton off balance early with some fierce physical pressure.

Hird noted that Essendon had struggled at the MCG last season against arch-rivals Carlton, Collingwood and Hawthorn.

“The boys wanted to correct that and they wanted to show they’ve improved,” Hird said.

“Whoever saw that game today would have to say we’re a better team now than we were this time last year.”

Forward Stewart Crameri starred with 5.6 and Hird described him as “a brute of a boy”.

“He encapsulates the Bombers at the moment – where he was 18 months ago and where he is now, the improvement is outstanding,” Hird said.

Ruckmen Paddy Ryder and Tom Bellchambers also impressed against Carlton duo Matthew Kreuzer and Shaun Hampson, who had played key roles last week in the Blues’ big win over Collingwood.

“I was pretty stoked with the way Tommy went about it today,” Ryder said of Bellchambers.

“He’s really starting to believe in his ability.”