The Kangaroos' 7.9 (51) to 5.13 (43) victory kept them within two games of the top-five with seven games remaining and condemned fifth-placed South Warrnambool to four straight defeats.

Illness forced Roos coach Matt Dunn to pass over the baton to players Hamish Waldron and Jandre Slabbert for the night.

He received regular score updates and, with the Roos on the cusp of an uplifting win, ventured to Melville Oval to watch the last 15 minutes.

"I was getting scores all night and South hit the front in the last quarter and then we kicked two quick goals and I thought 'bugger it' and went down and watched," Dunn said.

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"Darcy Russell and Brad Thomas kicked the goals to get us back in front and then Luke Uebergang kicked a later one.

"South then kicked a goal to keep it interesting in the last five minutes."

The Kangaroos sit in seventh with a 4-7 win-loss record below sixth-placed Camperdown on percentage.

"It keeps our season alive," Dunn said of the win in wet and trying conditions.

"We've got work in front of us to do but it (finals) is still a possibility. The feedback I got about the game was the boys played for everyone and it was a team effort which got us over the line."

Waldron was pleased with the Roos' endeavour, describing the contest as a slog.

The skipper said the result was a confidence-booster.

"We were tested. We led all day and they got in front in the last quarter and we kicked a couple of goals and got in front," he said.

"We played Port Fairy at home and led for most of the day against them and they ran over the top of us in the last quarter so it was good to get over the finish line in this one, it makes you feel better.

"It revives us a bit. If we win games on the way home, who knows what could happen."

Waldron said Luke Uebergang was given a job in the forward line as a pressure player and Slabbert played on Roosters' leading goal-kicker Shannon Beks and "he hardly got a touch".

Russell, Thomas, Josh Pepper and Charles Murrie were praised for their fourth-term efforts.

"We had no passengers in the last bit which was good," he said.

The match was part of the Kangaroos' annual pride and inclusion fixture.

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