Lilydale are excited gun defender Louis Venn has returned in time for finals while Old Scotch are hoping to have captain Jonty Swallow right for Saturday.
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The Demons and Thistles meet in the NTFA division one qualifying final at 2pm at Lilydale Recreation Ground.
Lilydale are eager to win their first home final in years and Old Scotch want to make amends for being knocked out in straight sets last year.
Dees coach Colin Lockhart said Venn was one of the best backman in the competition.
"He broke his leg. He's been training quite well the past month and he played his first game back last week and he'll be better for that run," he said.
"He's super important to the way we set up behind the footy."
Conversely, the Demons will be without one of their match-winners.
"Thane Bardenhagen's out for the season," Lockhart said.
"He's probably the best player in the comp.
"He's won three of the past four association best and fairest awards.
"He's done a knee and he's out for the year and that happened two weeks ago in the game against UTAS."
Lockhart described it as a huge blow.
"You can't take the best player in the comp out of a side and not expect it to have an effect," he said.
"But we haven't sooked about it, we've got on with it and the boys know they can't replace Thane but they've got to just do what they can do.
"Everyone's just got to play their role and we don't need to cover him, we just learn to cope without him."
Midfielder Reuben Rothwell will play his 100th match, adding to the buzz of the final.
"He's a Lilydale District School boy who has played all his football at Lilydale and is part of the family," Lockhart said.
"He has stepped up the past two weeks because Thane's been out. He's been awesome."
Old Scotch mentor Brayley Coombes said the Thistles' line-up would be mostly unchanged.
"We'll be pretty similar to last week and hopeful our captain Jonty Swallow will return this week," he said.
Coombes reflected on the two battles earlier this year which Lilydale won by 27 and 65 points.
"The first one we were pretty light on from a quality point of view," he said.
"We had a fair few out and thought we applied ourselves well.
"The second time we played was our most disappointing effort for the season. So we're looking to make sure our effort is a lot better than it was on that day.
"We'd been up and about for a few weeks leading into that contest.
"We just went into that game thinking it was going to happen which proves when you're up against the best, you've got to be switched on for the entire game."
The Thistles are coming off a one-point loss to top-team St Pats in the final round.
"Our tackling and effort was good," Coombes said.
"We lapsed for probably five to 10 minutes throughout the game which allowed them to kick multiple goals, which is a real area for improvement for us going into finals.
"But the conditions were pretty ordinary up there on a pretty small ground that the opposition play well on. All in all, really pleased with last week's effort."
Lockhart anticipates a heavily-contested clash which will be won in the midfield.
"They're a physically hard side to play against, there are not many days you walk off and you're not sore," he said.
"So normally it's hard and fair. That's what we're preparing for, a real hard, physical contest."
The Dees will focus on getting their hands on the footy first.
"We've got a fairly potent forward line so if we can get it in there, I believe we'll kick a winning score," Lockhart said.
"If you've got your hands on it first, it's easier to set up your defence to stop them."
Coombes knows winning the contested ball is important in any final.
"It is but you can't lose sight of that outside run and the impact that can have on a game," he said.
"Both sides are going to want to win the footy on the inside but it's who's going to be the bravest, quickest and fittest on the outside that I think is going to determine the result."
He spoke of the great battles coming up across the ground.
"The midfield is going to be critical," he said.
"But they've got a dangerous forward line and good intercept backs that can be just as critical."
The Thistles coach added he'd been impressed by the depth of his side this year.
"We've got some critical role players that don't get a lot of fanfare," he said.
"I think the bottom-six players from each side are going to determine the result, given the roles they're going to have to play, which will allow some of our leaders to flourish."
Lockhart said the game would have a great atmosphere with more than 1000 spectators expected.
"It's country football at its best," he said.
"You're going to have cars parked around the ground and you're going to have cows in the paddock over the back fence.
"There'll just be a massive country feel. We've got 18 boys in our senior side that went to Lilydale District School and they're playing at home where they grew up."
Old Scotch mentor Brayley Coombes said his group would embrace the challenge of playing the Demons on their home deck.
"At the end of the day, it's a good predicament to be in because we've qualified for finals so we're excited about the challenge," he said.
"We know we'll get good support out there and from all reports the ground's in really good condition."
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