Bendigo faces perhaps their toughest test of the year when they take on an in form Port Melbourne in the VFL match of the round this weekend.

Bendigo will be buoyed by the return of Heath Hocking for his first game for Bendigo this year and will be looking to fellow Essendon youngster, Tom Hislop, to continue to get better after returning from injury.

Hocking was expected to play last weekend against Casey but needed one more week as he comes back from a groin related injury that has plagued his season since playing for Essendon in this year’s NAB Cup.

Bendigo Coach, Adrian Hickmott, said Hocking was not quite ready last weekend and was pleased to have both young midfielders in the team for this vital game.

“Heath just pulled up pretty sore after training last week so he didn’t play but he will be playing for us on Saturday. Hislop worked pretty hard all day and things like his disposal will be better again this weekend,” Hickmott said.

Last weekend’s loss to Casey was the second in a row where Bendigo looked every chance of winning going into the final quarter and Hickmott believes it is something that can be turned around if his young side concentrate on keeping their work rate up all day.

“It was the second week in a row where I thought we should have won going into the last quarter, last week we probably stopped working as hard as we had been and maybe thought the wind was going to do it for us,” he said.

Hickmott admits that Port Melbourne will be another challenge for Bendigo but is confident that if the Bombers fix the things that have cost them over the last fortnight, they will again be a winning chance.

“We played second on the ladder, North Ballarat and fought with them right to the end and then against third last week had every chance again. They are both very good sides but we have been giving away games too easily,"" he said.

“This weekend we play fourth who have won seven on the trot so we have to concentrate on the basics that have been missing late in the games. Defensively we have to tackle, chase, shepherd and communicate and if we can gel as a team we can get over these good sides.""