"I was a little bit emotional over the weekend," he said on Tuesday. "Obviously seeing Luke Ball retiring on Friday night and then seeing Lenny Hayes finish up on Sunday, and also Jimmy Gwilt and Clint Jones.

"I've been aware of missed opportunities and all those sort of things in the past, and I think that's a good message for the guys – that you don't get to play finals every year. And you make it, it doesn't mean you're going to make it next year, so you've got to make every post a winner.

"But it makes me feel a little bit older, to see the guys you were drafted with and grew up playing footy with finishing their careers."

Dal Santo has played 282 games, 17 of them finals with the Saints. He took advantage of free agency at the end of last season to move from a rebuilding club to one hoping to challenge for a premiership in the next few years.

Now 30, he's in the twilight of his own glittering career though averaged 24 disposals across 22 games this season.

The veteran says he will tell his young Kangaroos teammates to stay flexible and relaxed this week as the club heads into an elimination final with Essendon, where in another sliding doors moment Dal Santo will face former teammate and housemate Brendon Goddard.

"It's sort of sometimes tough to explain to guys who haven't played finals, because it is different," Dal Santo said.

"But I think you've got to live that experience as well.

"All I've passed on at this stage is just be ready to be flexible. The week's a little bit different and you obviously do a little bit of media, there's a few more people at training. You need to get your preparation right, but obviously outside of that, there's a little bit more time to relax."

Essendon beat North Melbourne by 39 points in the teams' only clash this year, back in round one.

Roos forward Drew Petrie says that match isn't a good guide to how the next game will play out because both teams' styles have changed so much since then.

"What I did the other day, which I regret doing, is I looked up some stats from the game and I saw that I had an outstanding three possessions in that game, so I'll be hoping to perform a little bit better than that this week.

"[We're] in a far better position. We're coming off the back of having won four in a row which we haven't done all season, and last year we weren't competitive against the top sides whereas this year we have been."

Petrie expects to be picked up by Bombers half-back Cale Hooker, while teammate Aaron Black is likely to be covered by Michael Hurley.