Bonat has served his two-match suspension from last year's finals series but has been struck down by knee soreness.

He is set for a round five or six return.

Whiley is battling a corked leg suffered in the Pigeons' season opener against Corowa-Rutherglen with coach Damien Sexton originally concerned the injury may have been worse.

"They are arguably our two best players so it's tough but we've just got to manage without them," Sexton said.

"They are both probably a couple of weeks away.

"Tyler's just got soreness originating from his steel frame accident last year and Whiley is still getting over his corky."

Yarrawonga has a one-one win-loss record after two rounds and face the daunting prospect of playing a red-hot Wangaratta at Mulwala's Lonsdale Reserve on Sunday.

"This week is a big test," he said.

"It will be tough.

"They have been together for three or four years now."

Although Sexton was bitterly disappointed to lose to Wodonga Raiders last weekend, he said the Pigeons were quick to move on and put the performance into perspective.

"We played OK, it was just the lapse in the second quarter," he said.

"You can't afford to do that.

"Credit to the Raiders though, Brodie Filo is a champion player and Brodie A'vard played really well too."