North Warrnambool take first bragging rights in rivalry with South Warrnambool

Heading into the round 3-3, the Eagles were the first team to beat the previously-undefeated Roosters this year. They led from start to finish to sow up a 12.11 (83) to 9.9 (63) victory at Bushfield Recreation Reserve on Saturday.

"We knew it would take time but I feel like we're up and going now," Dowie said. "We've got quite a few new guys in our side, even Nathan Vardy, Billie Smedts played bits and pieces, the two Porter boys (Tate and Jalen), Jack Johnstone, that's a quarter of your side.

"I think for these guys it's just that belief that our best is good enough. We knew it but this just confirms it. We know that if we keep doing the right things and working at the fundamentals, then results end up going your way."

Dowie said his group understood it was just "one battle in the war" as it looks to consolidate itself as a top five threat.

"South are a really quality side, they've shown that," he said. "For us our start really helped, getting out the blocks early."

North promptly kicked five goals to one to start before South closed the opening term with three late goals.

The margin remained around the 10-point mark for most of the day as the Eagles seized its winning result with goals to Vardy and Jett Birmingham.

Dowie said he was pleased by everyone's contributions on the day.

"The encouraging thing was everyone, when they had to do something, they did," he said. "Any game, there is going to be guys playing well and others not, so the guys who might not have had a big impact did some nice things in the last quarter."

South Warrnambool coach Mat Battistello believes his group didn't capitalise on its opportunities when it had momentum.

"I felt like (North) certainly did that," he said. "It ebbed and flowed most of the day and I felt we had enough opportunities. I thought we competed well, but our entry inside forward 50 wasn't up to standard and probably cost us the game.

"When you lose by 20 it's disappointing but we did a lot of things right so we'll move on from that pretty quickly."

He said Josh Saunders remains "ultra consistent" while Harry Lee and Ollie Bridgewater's work on North's taller forwards was strong.

"Looking at (North's) fire power up forward, it was probably their smalls that ended up hitting the scoreboard more than their talls," he said.

Archie Stevens was a late withdrawal for South with VFL duties while under 18.5s talent Max Irving came into the side and kicked three.

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