Liam Hoy left the field on crutches at half-time of the Lions' nine-goal win against Ballarat a fortnight ago, with scans later revealing the attacking threat had ruptured his Achilles.

Redan coach Jarrett Giampaolo said Hoy had since had surgery and was beginning his rehabilitation.

"It's a pretty big loss; you can't replace a player like that," Giampaolo told The Courier.

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"He'll miss the year now. It's pretty unfortunate for him, but he's already been involved in doing some match review stuff.

"He's pretty keen to get stuck into that side of things, which is good. He's happy to stay involved."

Redan has been one of the worst-hit sides in a league plagued by early-season injuries.

Last weekend's bye came at the perfect time, allowing a few sore bodies to rest.

Star ruckman Orren Stephenson is still sidelined, but Giampaolo was welcoming an influx of players this weekend.

"Across both seniors and reserves, we've probably got eight blokes back," he said.

"It tops us up across both grades, which is really important because we were grabbing a few guys out of thin air to play in the reserves the other week.

"Patrick Britt is back on the track. He's one of our good defenders.

"Even a young fella like Hayden Riley who hasn't played for a few years through a long-term injury, having a crack in the reserves; some positive signs are there."

The Lions welcome Bacchus Marsh on Saturday, a win likely to keep the hosts in the top three.

The Cobras have had a hit-and-miss start to the season, something Giampaolo was wary of.

"There are certain things with Bacchus Marsh that we've had a look at and need to be mindful of, but you're certainly more focused on yourself than the opposition to start with," he said.

"We were pretty pleased with how we played against the Swans. The way we played is what we've been working towards through the whole pre-season.

"When you're able to put together everything you've worked for and trained for, it feels like you're going to be able to go out and play a more consistent brand of footy. If we're able to replicate that, we know we'll be competitive and be able to beat anyone."

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