North Albury won a crucial first battle against Myrtleford in the teams hoping to push into the Ovens and Murray Football League finals.
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However, the home outfit kicked the first four goals, but the Hoppers pegged it back to post a 12.10 (82) to 10.12 (72) win on Easter Sunday.
"We just weren't getting our hands on the ball, I'd say in the first 10 minutes they had four goals on the board and we had about four disposals as a team," North coach Tim Broomhead told Radio 2AY.
But the classy work from Julian Hayes, along with the midfield grunt from Cayden Winter, pushed the visitors back in the game and Josh Minogue (four goals) and Ben Fulford (three goals) took advantage.
It was Fulford's first game at the club since 2016 and he did so with no practice matches, due to his captaincy role with North Albury Cricket club in Cricket Albury-Wodonga Provincial.
Second-year player Jack Reynolds and Jack Penny also featured for the Hoppers.
North also received good news with the early return from finger surgery of Foster Gardiner after medical staff suggested he could miss the first month.
The Saints' Ryley Bouker was dangerous with four goals, while in his return Lachie Dale kicked two, along with Brody Ricardi.
Recruit Zac Pethybrige joined Bouker in the best, while best and fairest runner-up Mitch Dalbosco, Matt Munro and Dale also impressed.
The Saints and Hoppers, along with Wodonga Raiders and Lavington, missed finals last year, but they will see games involving that quartet as vital to their hopes of pushing into the top five and possibly doing what Wodonga did last year with a lightning 5-0 start.
