Lavington has broken through for its first win of the season.
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The new-look reigning premiers were able to capitalise on an early lead against Wangaratta Rovers on Saturday, remaining in front for the duration of the match at the Lavington Sports Ground.
The end result 40-31.
After a list of departures and new arrivals in the off-season, it marked the Panthers' first victory since the 2023 grand final.
"It's good to finally get a win, it's been a really slow start for us," coach Linda Charlton said.
"We're obviously rebuilding, so it's great to know we can still do it and get a win.
"We've got three or four new players, so that takes a bit of time for things to come together, but there were much better connections on court.
"Our goal was just to win a couple of quarters, and we put that together, so that's a really big jump forward for us."
Panthers' defender Tayla Furborough spent the final minutes of the match on the sidelines after leaving the court with a suspected ankle injury.
Erin Haberecht, who is one of the Panthers' new A-grade inclusions this season, led the way in front of goals for the home side with 30 conversions.
"Her height is really valuable and she's pretty good at pulling in some wayward balls and is really strong on the rebound," Charlton said.
"She did really well today."
Maddi Lloyd and Ange DeMamiel worked tirelessly in the mdicourt, while Molly Murray was strong in defence for Rovers.
Sami Kreltszheim was the visitors' leading goal scorer with 19.
The Panthers, Rovers, Tigers and Bulldogs now all sit on one victory heading in to round six, while Corowa-Rutherglen, Wangaratta and Wodonga Raiders remain undefeated following the split round.
