With the Warrack Eagles having the advantage of kicking to a heavily favoured scoring end and the Rats' players out on their feet as a result of injuries, all signs pointed towards a home team victory.

Yet, Ararat refused to lay down and managed to keep its head to seal a confidence boosting five point win 15.13 (103) to 15.8 (98).

Coach David Hosking said with their backs against the wall, his side responded in the best possible way.

"If you consider the personnel we didn't have available heading in and then to go down by two players inside the first quarter and lose another pretty much in the third, I think it was very impressive," he said.

"We said after the game, it has been a long time since we've been to Warracknabeal and come away with four points and to win the game kicking into that breeze in the last quarter was a good effort.

"It is the sort of game where traditionally we have always probably been gallant but lost. This time we got over the line with a win and it is something to build on and should give the group confidence."

With conditions favouring one end of the ground, Rats' skipper Alan Batchelor chose to kick with the breeze in the opening quarter, however the visitors took longer to settle and it was the Eagles who drew first blood.

After missing early opportunities, the experience of Mick Fratin helped Ararat get its first major on the board, which was soon backed up with a quick chain of play from the backline through to Liam Cavanagh who converted on the run to gift the Rats the lead.

Midway through the term Ararat had its first setback when speedster Brayden Ferguson went down with a serious ankle injury, while history repeated only moments later when defender Zander Laidlaw suffered the same fate.

"Every player out there is important, but Fergy especially because he was rotating through the midfield and that was going along nicely, then he went down and straight away our rotations off the bench were interrupted," Hosking said.

"Then Zander went down and that upset everything, because Stephen Phillips had to go out of another rotation on a wing and play as a tall defender instead.

"It just turned everything on its head."

Consecutive goals from Beau Cosson and young gun Tom Williamson ensured Ararat held a quarter time buffer of 22 points, however within the space of half an hour that lead was eroded as Warrack kicked six unanswered goals in the second term.

Hosking said the Eagles played the conditions much better than his side during the first half of the match.

"You always want to kick with the breeze first up because you never know what the weather is going to do, but in hindsight being the first quarter of the year everyone was hyper and probably a little bit over stimulated and we didn't make the most of it because of that," he said.

"We were over eager and I didn't think we settled as quickly as we should have.

"They showed that you could score into the breeze, but you had to run and be good with your ball use and I don't think we got that quite right in the second quarter."

The Rats came out after the main break and wasted no time in wiping away the 16-point deficit. Majors to Jacob Bates and Cosson gave the team a much needed boost, while David Brady’s move from defence into the forward-50 returned dividends with two goals.

“David took it upon himself at halftime to move from defence to the forward line in the third and I really think that helped turn the game,” Hosking said.

“I just thought his ability to take some contested marks and just his general footy smarts was a massive key for us.”

Despite holding a three goal buffer at the final change, the signs looked ominous for Ararat, with 2013 best and fairest Aaron Searle appearing to have re-injured his troublesome knee.

The forward’s steely resolve to stay out on the ground proved a game changer, as two quick centre clearances saw Searle slot the first two goals of the final term to push the Rats’ lead further out.

The Eagles again used the breeze to their favour, stringing together four consecutive goals as the match drew to a close. 

Hosking said although Warrack was able to slash the lead to within a kick, he was proud of his charges’ ability to stand tall across the park.

“For us to kick the opening two goals of the last quarter, it was just a really good statement by the boys. They played good, positive football,” he said.

“Searle probably had no right to do the things that he did on one leg — it was just outstanding.

“In those last few minutes when everyone had to stand up, there were some really good individual efforts from blokes just doing their jobs.

“Justin Summons was fantastic in willing people to get up and give another effort, Fratin took some important marks in the dying stages, the spoiling efforts of the blokes in the backline throughout the match was really good as well.

“Everyone did their bit and that is what you’ve got to have if you want to win close games like that.”

Hosking made special mention of first gamer Riley Taylor, who was awarded best on ground honours in his senior debut.

“I thought Riley was definitely our best player. His game was just terrific,” he said.

“I think he probably surprised me a bit. I knew he was a good footballer, but I think his development, particularly after training with the Rebels has just been extremely beneficial for him.”