Such was the case when Dennington reaffirmed its spot in the Warrnambool and District league top five with a 43-34 defeat of Merrivale.

Dogs coach Sue Fleming said height proved the difference between the evenly-matched sides at Merrivale Recreation Reserve on Saturday.

“We did have the upper hand all day but they kept coming back and coming back,” Fleming said.

“We managed to steady the boat and ended up coming away with the points. We had at least five goals on them at any given time.

“I just think the height (we had) at both ends, they struggled with that. Obviously we’ve got four six-foot girls, that helps.

“I think that was the difference. Definitely Lani (Keane) in goal shooter, Kristy (Bolden) and myself in defence, it was too tall a side.”

Sidelined utility Danielle McLeod and shooter Katie Burt are also to come back into the side, giving Fleming arguably the tallest list in the league.

“It’s good because Lani and I can rotate at either end. It depends on who has their socks up and is feeling more comfortable,” she said.

Dennington gained the upper hand soon after the first whistle and rushed to a 14-5 lead by quarter-time.

The Tigers cut the margin to five by the long break. But their ascendancy was short-lived as the Dogs blew it out to nine with a term to go.

Keane hit 23 goals and led all scorers, while Marlie Boyd shot 20. The pair were among the best, along with Fleming.

Nicole Batten led the Tigers’ tally with 20. Midcourter Jodi Keane and defender Brooke Thompson were their best.

In other A grade matches, a Natalie Inia-inspired South Rovers posted its first win of the season with a thrilling 44-41 win over Nirranda at Walter Oval.

The result leaves the Blues and East Warrnambool as the only winless sides after five rounds.

Allansford added congestion to an already-crowded mid-table with a 37-25 win over Russells Creek at Allansford Recreation Reserve.

Kolora-Noorat replaced the Kangaroos in the top five after its 39-30 win over Deakin University at Noorat Recreation Reserve. The Sharks dropped to eighth.

Timboon Demons posted the highest score of the round in beating East Warrnambool 72-21 at Timboon Recreation Reserve.

Demons playing coach Hayley Plozza scored a game-high 49 goals to continue her stellar season.