Skipper Cameron White scored an unbeaten 88 to guide Victoria to 6-259 at stumps on day one of their Sheffield Shield clash with South Australia at the MCG.
Peter Handscomb (69) and White shared a sixth-wicket partnership of 131 after Victoria had been struggling badly on Friday at 5-83 on a lively pitch.
Invited to bat first, Victoria had recovered from 2-14 to reach 2-82 before left-armer Gary Putland triggered a dramatic middle-order collapse of 3-1 in the sixth over after lunch.
Putland was threatening all day long and finished with 4-48 off 26 overs.
Chadd Sayers (2-61) had struck in the second over of the day to remove Ryan Carters caught behind for a duck.
The out-of-form No.3 Aaron Finch followed for nine at 2-18, caught at first slip by Michael Klinger off Sayers’ bowling.
Putland ended the 64-run partnership between David Hussey (29) and Chris Rogers (39) as Rogers edged a ball onto his stumps.
Glenn Maxwell was lbw to an inswinger for a third-ball duck and Hussey fell caught at second slip by Phil Hughes two deliveries later.
Dropped at second slip on 13, the 21-year-old Handscomb hit eight fours in his three-hour knock before falling victim to Putland in the third over with the second new ball at 6-214.
John Hastings is unbeaten on 14 and will be looking to play a supporting role on Saturday as White chases his first first-class century for two years.
Former Test allrounder White hit seven fours and two sixes from 179 deliveries and has batted for 231 minutes.