In a savage blow to the Tigers progressing deep into September, Elias is awaiting results of scans to determine the extent of a knee injury.

Elias has missed the past fortnight against Dederang-Mt Beauty and Rutherglen with the Tigers losing both encounters.

Highlighting the loss of Elias, they beat both sides comfortably earlier in the season.

In a further blow, key defender Ben Kunkel will miss the rest of the season.

They join Tiger stars Josh Spence (broken leg) and Cam McNeill (Achilles) who succumbed to season-ending injuries early in the season.

Barnawartha coach, Kade Butters, recently re-signed for next year after replacing co-coaches Tom Anson and Danny De Marte over the off-season.

Butters conceded he was thrown a couple of curve balls that he didn't see coming since stepping into the hot seat.

"I was always keen to coach again," Butters said of his re-signing.

"Losing my two captains in Spence and McNeill early in the season was a crushing blow.

"Two icons of the club who are irreplaceable as far as their leadership on the ground, at training and around the club.

"Then Ben Kunkel went down, Adam (Elias) is struggling with a knee, Mitch Exton did an ankle but played reserves last weekend.

"Adam is waiting on scans but I would be surprised if he played again this year.

"It's no secret we need the big fella playing and we have lost the past two weeks since he got injured.

"Losing those core players, it makes a huge difference to our side and any side in the competition for that matter.

"We have pretty much lost our whole spine but that's footy."

Despite the injuries, the Tigers are still guaranteed to play finals and will meet Dederang-Mt Beauty next Sunday in a cut-throat elimination final.

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Butters conceded the Tigers were limping into the finals after making the grand final in 2019 when the competition last played a finals series.

"We won a lot of our matches early in the season which has held us in good stead," he said.

"It's fair to say that we haven't been playing great footy for the past month.

"Credit to boys, there is still a lot of belief within the group and nobody has thrown in the towel.

"The younger players like Connor Wiffen, Lachie Walker and Billy Haynes have gone to another level.

"Brad Dalbosco is another player who has also risen to the challenge."

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