The Roosters are top of the ladder and still undefeated after comprehensively accounting for the Bombers by 74 points, but coach Mathew Buck says he still views Port Fairy as the Hampden senior football pacesetter.

“I don’t think there’d be much doubt in anyone’s mind Port Fairy is the benchmark,” he said.“They’ve just got too many great players for them not to be the benchmark.

“We’re happy with how we’ve gone, but it’s only the first half of the year and unfortunately the first half of the year doesn’t mean too much.”

The Roosters’s wariness about early season form is understandable given how their 2016 season unfolded.

After winning three of their first four matches and seven of their first 12 to well and truly be in the hunt for a return to finals, they fell away badly as the season wore on, losing their last six matches by an average of 65 points to finish eighth.

But with their junior players stepping up another level this season, as well as the return of a host of former Roosters and some canny recruiting, South Warrnambool is looking formidable.

Their win at home on Saturday came without star 2017 signing Josh Saunders, who is out for the remainder of the season with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

The Roosters won’t have to wait long to test themselves against the team they see as the yardstick, with a game against Port Fairy looming this Saturday.

“You want to play against the best and Port Fairy is the best, so we’ll be looking forward to turning up at Gardens Oval,” Buck said.