The Seagulls forced their way into the Hampden top five for the first time this season with an 11.4 (70) to 8.8 (56) win over Camperdown at Leura Oval on Saturday.

The hard-fought win in what Port Fairy coach Brett Evans described as “as bad a conditions as you could possibly get” saw the Seagulls replace the Magpies in fifth spot, capping a complete form turnaround in the past two months.

Evans said there was great reward on offer for the Seagulls on Saturday, but their attention now turns to trying to defend their spot in the top five with South Warrnambool, Camperdown and Portland nipping at their heels.

“It’s great (to be in the five) but we’ve got to be there at the end of the season,” he said.

“It’s so hard to get in there and it’s such an even comp. It gives the boys a bit of reward for their hard work over the last two months that we’re into the five now and someone has got to get us out.

“We’ve turned our form around. We haven’t had a lot of injuries of late compared to what we had in the first half of the year. We are a lot more settled, but we’ve got South next week, so the games don’t get any easier.”

Camperdown was quick out of the blocks with the opening two goals of the game, but Port Fairy soon steadied with the next four, taking a 10-point lead into the first break.

The home side reduced the deficit to just three points by the main break, courtesy of a Jesse Gallichan goal after the siren, but Port Fairy replied with four goals to two in the third to establish a game-winning 16-point lead.

Key position player Robbie Hare was excellent in the ruck in the second half, stepping up after Port Fairy lost Adam McCosh to a groin injury.

Camperdown coach Phil Carse said the move caught his side “on the back foot” as they struggled to keep up in the clearances.

“We probably got beaten in clearances for the last half, particularly when Hare went into the ruck,” he said.

“It was obviously contested footy everywhere and very hard to get any clean possessions. It was one of those games where was just a game of meterage; just trying to force it forward.

“We felt like our key indicators in our tackles were nice and high and obviously an extra scoring shot as well.

“(We) probably just lacked the polish inside 50 to finish if off.”