Fifth place on the ladder was up for grabs when they faced reigning premiers Wodonga on Saturday afternoon.

After finishing ninth last season, the Rovers had plenty to prove this season and they did just that against the Bulldogs.

If they were nervous before the opening whistle it certainly didn't show afterwards, as coach Michelle Caruso's squad jumped out of the blocks to take an early lead.

Up by six at quarter time, they extended the margin in a dominant second quarter to lead by 17 at the main break.

The Rovers maintained that lead until the final whistle, leaving Caruso to enjoy the convincing win.

“We're very happy with the result,” she said.

“We were a little bit nervous heading into the game, knowing where Wodonga is on the ladder.

“But the girls put in a four quarter effort, we got away to a strong start and that set us up.

“We gained a good lead and gained momentum, it's a lot easier than having to play catch-up netball all afternoon.”

Caitlin Conroy and Jess Clarke were a potent duo in attack, finishing with 23 and 34 goals respectively. 

Caruso said she had been particularly impressed with Conroy's game.

“She's a real confidence player, she got off to a strong start on Saturday and didn't look back,” she said.

“When she and Jess play well they really complement each other, it means we're not relying on one or the other.

“Jess was very important for us, she brought great leadership to the table.”

While it was a momentous win for the Rovers, their spot in the top five is far from guaranteed.

They move a game clear of the now sixth-placed Bulldogs, but have crucial matches against North Albury and Wangaratta to come in the next fortnight.

“North Albury got us by a point last time we played, so we're keen to try and get that one back,” Caruso said. 

“The win over the Bulldogs does allow us to look up the ladder a little bit, we want to try and challenge some of the teams we lost to earlier in the season.

“We'd like to get ourselves on a bit of a roll from this, but ultimately it'll come down to whether or not we get the effort required on the day. 

“If we can connect a few games in a row it'll be a confidence booster.”

In other matches last Saturday, Yarrawonga were big winners over Wangaratta, boosting their percentage to a whopping figure of 191.  

North Albury were too good for Myrtleford, Albury outclassed Corowa-Rutherglen, and the Raiders were thumped by Lavington.