Reigning Warrnambool and District Cricket Association player of the year Mark Murphy has kicked 22 goals in six matches since making a return to football earlier this season.

He kicked five goals in the Lions' upset 16.12 (108) to 13.9 (87) win over 2018 beaten grand finalist Old Collegians at Davidson Oval on Saturday.

The come-from-behind win - the Lions were down at every change - lifted the Adam Matheson-coached team into the Warrnambool and District league top five.

South Rovers are now one of three teams, alongside Allansford and Panmure, with 5-5 win-loss records.

Matheson, who rated the win his best in his two-and-a-half seasons at the helm, said Murphy was "a really hard match-up".

"He's quick but also strong, he's good on the ground," he said.

"He's freakish. An area we've struggled is to kick goals and we tried to get Mark back through the off-season and he finally decided to have a go.

"You can pencil him in for two or three goals a game and anything on top of that is a bonus."

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South Rovers were down eight points at quarter-time and half-time and four in arrears at the final break.

They kicked seven goals to three in a blistering final term to stun the Warriors.

"We knew they grind away all day so we had to stay in touch at the breaks," Matheson said.

"At half-time we spoke about intensity on the ball carrier and we increased our tackle rate after half-time which was pleasing.

"The other focus was keeping the ball deep inside 50 to put their back line under pressure.

"In the last quarter all of our goals were within 30 metres."

Matheson said the Lions had breathed life into their season but they could "only control our own destiny".

Old Collegians coach Nick Sheehan, who lost veteran Nathan Forth to a calf injury, conceded the Warriors were "too slow to react".

"Credit to South Rovers, they wanted it more," he said.

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