Old Scotch coach Brayley Coombes says his group is itching to get back on the park after a fortnight of byes.
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The Thistles, with three wins and one loss, take on UTAS Lions on Saturday at University Oval.
They'll go into the clash without two of their leaders.
Coombes said captain Jonty Swallow (back) and Tom Pedley (wisdom teeth) were out this week.
Will Gray will make his senior debut for the club
"He has been playing under 18s and is in grade 12 at Scotch Oakburn College so there's that strong tie to the school," Coombes said.
"He'll play down back."
The Lions have a couple of outs too with mentor David Manktelow noting Braydon Weily had permanently returned to the Northern Territory.
The midfielder played three games and was in the Lions' best last week against Perth.
Kye Moore is unavailable.
Half-backs Harry Okeane, who was unavailable last week, and Taj Allen (knee complaint) are returning.
"Taj was one of our best players in the opening rounds and we sorely missed his drive from half-back," Manktelow said.
Coombes described his fourth-ranked group as content with its start to the year.
"It's been a challenge with COVID and injuries, we haven't had a chance to get our full list on the park," he said.
"Other sides would be in the same boat. We're content but really looking for some footy (matches) and working on things under genuine pressure."
Coombes said the Thistles were working on aspects of their game which let them down in the finals last year.
Smart ball movement going forward is a major focus.
Manktelow said his group would continue to solidify their new game plan.
"Just sticking to it can be difficult when you're having losses week-after-week but the one thing I say to the players is the losses look worse than what they actually are," he said.
He said the Lions, who have one victory and five defeats, had put together good patches of play but needed to be more consistent.
He spoke of striking a better balance between attack and defence.
"We're trying to be a more attacking team but I suppose what comes with that is you get opened up a little bit defensively," he said.
Manktelow announced prior to the season the Lions, who hadn't won a game for four years, were keen to earn the respect of the rest of the competition.
He feels they're making steps toward that goal.
"The scoreboard doesn't really show but I'm getting good feedback from opposition clubs that we've improved," he said.
The coach said something he'd noticed was the best sides in the competition were starting well against the Lions.
"That tells me they're taking us seriously," he said.
In other round eight matches, Lilydale will be desperate to bounce back from last weekend's loss to St Pats when they take on East Coast.
The Saints will be keen to extend their six-match winning streak when they visit Perth.
Evandale, Meander Valley and Old Launcestonians have byes.
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