It was a see-sawing contest at a rain-soaked Tarrawingee, but the Hoppers had the goods late after being challenged before half-time.

Hoppers coach Nathan Waite was surprised to come away with a win, with several of the team’s key personnel unavailable.

“We were confident going into the game, but we certainly weren’t expecting a win,” he said.

“The conditions really played into our hands a bit, we’ve got a few bigger bodies who were able to throw their weight around a bit.

“Given the circumstances we were in before the game, it was a real team effort to come away with the points.”

Hamish Busk and Andrew Balfour stood up in a team missing the likes of Jack Scott and Peter Sullivan, while Jeremy Wilson kicked two for the winners.

Dominant second and third quarters saw Tarrawingee gain the ascendency in an occasionally tense affair, but a half-time spray from Waite saw the Hoppers regain their composure after giving away some needless free kicks.

“It was that kind of game when it’s wet and scrappy it’s easy to get a bit fired up, and we really let them back in with some silly mistakes,” Waite said.

“I reminded the team at the break that the game was still there for the taking, and they responded really well to that.

“We got on top through some really good pressure, and after the game it was really difficult to sit down and pick out the best players.

“I thought everyone put their hand up at various stages of the game.”