The Bulldogs have been one of the powers of the competition since 2002, playing in six grand finals - winning four - as well as a preliminary final.

However, Gisborne has a mounting injury toll entering the second half of the season, and has now lost its past two games to Golden Square and Castlemaine, placing the Bulldogs’ position in the top three under threat.

“For these next three months, this is probably the biggest challenge the club has had through that eight-year period,’’ Elliott said yesterday.

“But from my perspective, it’s probably going to be beneficial to my coaching.

"It’s okay to coach sides when you’re winning, because you probably don’t have to address any real issues, they can probably get glossed over a little.

“But when you lose you need to start analysing yourself, and the players need to be accountable for their actions as well.

“So I probably look at this as being a positive, in that it’s a chance to expose a few different guys and give them the chance to step up.

“You can’t live off what has been at the club for the past eight or so years, you need to develop as players and show leadership, which is the exciting thing.’’

With the second half of the season to start tomorrow, Gisborne sits in third position with a 7-2 record, which two weeks ago had been 7-0.

But it’s going to be a far from full strength Gisborne side in the coming weeks that will be striving to keep a hold of its top-three spot.

Forward Tristan James’ season is over after suffering a double injury blow in the second quarter of last week’s shock eight-point loss to the lowly Castlemaine.

James, who has kicked 17 goals this season, requires both a shoulder and knee reconstruction.

He was in the ambulance being transported to Bendigo Hospital last Saturday when the ambulance had to be called back to Camp Reserve, to attend to Castlemaine’s Sean Smith, who had suffered a horrific broken leg.