Golden Square teenager Jack Merrin will play his first NAB League game for the Bendigo Pioneers on Saturday.
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Merrin is one of four inclusions for the game against the Northern Knights at Preston.
Merrin, Cooper Smith, Braydon Vaz and Jack Hickman return to the side which lost to Calder Cannons last Sunday.
Pioneers' coach Rick Coburn said his side has the ability to more than just match it with the Knights.
"Our offensive play is pretty good, we just need to tighten up a couple of our defensive transition issues sometimes,'' Coburn said.
"That's just a concentration thing at times with a young group. The squad is a very gifted group and they work hard and battle away well.
"We're confident we can mix it with anyone and we give ourselves a chance against anyone."
Coburn said it was important for all players in the squad to finish the season strongly.
"The boys are either playing well to take their form into finals with their local club or, for the bottom-age players, to use it as a stepping stone for next year,'' he said.
"Then there's those at the pointy end that are hoping to be picked up by an AFL club.
"It gets to this time of year and sometimes the boys can be dragging the chain a bit, but our boys are jumping out of their skin."
The Knights are eighth on the ladder with a 6-6 record, while the Pioneers are 10th with a 4-7 record. Saturday's game starts at 2.30pm.