Star on-baller Josh Kelly believes GWS’s injury woes may prove a blessing in disguise as an AFL elimination-final date with the Western Bulldogs beckons.

The Giants have battled the injury bug again this season, with their midfield stocks hardest hit.

Kelly (calf), Callan Ward (ACL), Stephen Coniglio (knee), Jacob Hopper (hamstring) and Matt de Boer (shoulder) have all missed extended time as the Giants’ bright start fizzled into a sixth-placed finish.

The injury toll necessitated All-Australian forward Toby Greene and dashing halfback Zac Williams to pinch-hit in the middle at times.

Kelly insists those moves have added a new string to the Giants’ bow as he and other key midfielders slowly return to health.

“It’s good to know what we have up our sleeve,” he told AAP.

“We’ll be looking to stick to a midfield that we’re used to. But there’s no doubt Zaccy (Williams) can potentially come in there and change the game.

“Then having Toby to come in there and just crash bodies and get a bit of the footy is an added bonus for us.”

The Bulldogs’ star-studded midfield, featuring Marcus Bontempelli, Josh Dunkley and Jackson Macrae, await GWS at Giants Stadium next Saturday.

Kelly knows taming that talented trio will go a long way to atoning for their 61-point thumping on home soil in round 22.

“We probably lowered our colours a bit to them the last time we matched up a few weeks ago,” Kelly said.

“I think a lot of that is coming from their midfield – blokes like Dunkley, Macrae and Bontempelli.

“We want to be the best and we’ve got to beat the best.”

Veteran tagger de Boer, who signed another one-year contract extension on Friday, was coy on whether he would get the job on Bontempelli.

“They’ve got a few players that we’ll take a look at,” de Boer said.

Freshly re-signed star Coniglio has conceded he’s unlikely to return, while intercept defender Nick Haynes (fractured larynx) faces further tests in the coming days.