Two-time premiership defender Adam Butler made the stunning admission after the Panthers' 10.13 (73) to 8.12 (60) win.

"That's one of the best wins I've been involved in during all my time here," the 40-year-old offered.

"The boys were just cracking in, hard at the contest, that's what we're about this year, we've been written off and we're setting our goals, we're not worried about anybody else and we just put the pressure on all night."

Lavington has lost two-thirds of its 2019 premiership outfit and wasn't selected by any tipsters to make the top five.

"We just came with relentless pressure, we were ruthless, I just think we wanted the footy a bit more than they did," fellow veteran Brant Dickson said.

And even the Saints agreed.

"I think the difference was their hunger, they came out and hunted us," co-coach Dawson Simpson revealed.

It was the first upset from the opening eight games and provided the league with another boost, on the back of the raft of top-line recruits.

The Panthers carried a 27-point lead into the final quarter, but long goals to Murray Waite and Kurt Aylett, plus a clever effort from Matt Munro in heavy traffic cut the margin to six.

Billy Glanvill then kicked a point with 117 seconds left to seal an enthralling win, built on fierce pressure.

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"That's the standard you've got to set, that's what keeps you in games," coach Adam Schneider explained.

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