The Bloods secured their second victory against a higher-rated side, holding off a spirited North Warrnambool Eagles in a 43-39 win.

Arundell said the victory, which pushed her side back into the top five, was the best effort she had seen from her troops this season.

"It's good to know that we can play a quality team, like North, who don't stop and get a win," she said.

"We would get out to four goals and they would come back and level it, then we go again and that happened every quarter. It was good to know we can answer a team coming at us.

"In previous games against top teams we have been good enough to be in the lead in the third quarter and then we have a fourth quarter that doesn't match.

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"But this time they played the fourth quarter the same as they had the whole game even when they came back.

"I was concerned they would run over us but we rallied so it was also good to see they can dig deep when they need to."

The win takes the Bloods record to 6-6 and puts them a game clear of the chasing pack in South Warrnambool, Camperdown and Port Fairy, who all suffered defeats on Saturday.

Arundell said the second upset win of the season would do wonders for her side's belief ahead of critical matches against the Seagulls and Hamilton Kangaroos.

"It's good to beat a team above you on the ladder and we have beaten Warrnambool as well," she said.

"They're the only two teams we've beaten above us and it's a good confidence booster."

North Warrnambool drifted back in second place from ladder-leaders Cobden to now sit level with Koroit. The Eagles face Camperdown, Warrnambool and the Saints in a tough stretch of games.

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