The top side of the past decade lost four premiership players over summer, including 2016 Toni Wilson medallist Hannah Symes and exciting attacking player Abbey Jones, so the expectation outside the club was it would drop out of the top three.

But the Pigeons toppled the team many thought would push for the grand final, 48-40.

“We've gone with a bigger squad, so we're going to have a fair bit of rotation through our A grade and B grade this year,” Yarrawonga coach Bridget Cassar said.

“There's obviously some senior girls plotted throughout that, but that was a fantastic effort.

“Albury is a really good side and we always have really good tussles with them.

“It was a bit more nerve-wracking watching from the side, but the girls were fantastic.”

Former Toni Wilson medallist Steph Tyrell played for the Pigeons, racking up 21 goals, while teenager Indi Frauenfelder posted 22.

“Indi stepped up, she was in our under 16s premiership side and she played a few games of A grade last year,” Cassar said.

“She was our goal shooter today and I think she only missed two goals.”

The Pigeons grabbed a five-goal lead at quarter-time and gradually built on that.

“I was really proud that we stuck with them,” Albury coach Olivia Aughton said.

“This is a team we've come up against and let it blow out to 20-25 goals after half-time.

“We realised that we had to work on that and I think that showed.”

The Tigers have introduced a number of new players.

“Alice Pohlner is a recruit from Melbourne who has come up for work, as well a couple of girls that have pushed up from B grade and my sister, Bridget, will come up for a few games during the season,” Aughton said.

“Last year, I don't think we got within 15 goals of them and we still made finals.”

Meanwhile another outfit expected to battle for a top three spot in North Albury toppled Myrtleford, 49-35.

“We’re still not settled in who we’re going to have as our consistent A grade team, we’ve got a fair bit of depth between A and B, which is exciting,” North coach Fiona Boyer said.

“We’ve always got kids running through there, which is always something we hold with great pride.”

Last year’s leading league goal-scorer Grace Senior started where she left off with a stunning 43-goal haul.

Elsewhere, Lavington smashed Wodonga 72-23, Wangaratta Rovers beat the Roos 54-38 and Wangaratta toppled Wodonga Raiders 44-23.