Golden Square is missing a host of star-studded players for the clash at Country Vet Oval, with the latest out being star midfielder Mark Lloyd (hamstring).

Lloyd joins a Golden Square injury list that also includes Luke Rosa (ankle), Simon Rosa (back), Callum Sharp (ankle), captain Christian Carter (knee) and Chris Malone (ankle).

Aside from assistant coach Simon Rosa, who played with WAFL club Peel Thunder last season, all those players on the Bulldogs’ injury list played in their grand final win over South Bendigo last year.

However, taking a positive from a negative, coach Nick Carter says the injury list is giving Golden Square - which sits undefeated on top of the ladder - the chance to test the depth at the club.

“Like I’ve said from day one when I took on this job, what I’ve wanted to do is play kids, and this has probably given an opportunity to do that,” Carter said last night.

“And perhaps for the next two weeks we will be able to do that . . . it won’t be just a case of throwing them in and seeing how they go.

“What it also does is put pressure on guys who aren’t performing that well at the moment.

“I think back to two years ago when Adam Baird was thinking about going back to Donald because he wasn’t getting a game.

“I told him to stick at it, he got into the side and the rest is now history - he is now a premiership and inter-league player.”

One young player benefiting from the opportunities created by the injuries is Tom Patterson, who will make his senior debut tomorrow.

In some positive news on the injury front for the Bulldogs, they regain hard-at-it midfielder Nathan Bell, who missed last Saturday night’s 30-point win over Sandhurst with an ankle injury.

Golden Square will tomorrow play a Gisborne side that has won just one game and sits ninth on the ladder, but Carter is expecting their Bulldogs namesakes to provide a tough challenge.

“Gisborne is a side we respect what they have done and how they have gone about it, so we’ll be expecting nothing less than a tough contest from them.”