Is Hoppers Crossing simply not ready to play grown-up football in Western Region Football League division 1 blockbusters?
The Warriors have been the story of the 2016 season, emerging as the most likely side to end Deer Park’s supremacy.
But on two occasions this season against the three-time defending champions, the Warriors have been exposed by a lack of physicality around the contest.
Warriors coach Steven Kretiuk described it as looking like boys playing against men.
“Half of our side were either 21 or under, but how long do we keep saying they’re kids?” he asked.
“You need to stand up if you want to play at this level. Our guys have to realise what the next level is about and Deer Park are the best side in the competition by a mile.
“We haven’t beaten them this year … for us to get better, we need our guys to step up.”
The premiership vibe surrounding Hoppers Crossing evaporated in 120 minutes on Saturday when the Warriors got a harsh reality check in a 70-point drubbing by Deer Park on their home turf at Hogans Road Reserve.
In all of the areas in which the Warriors have bullied opposition sides this season, they were second best on this bleak day.
“At no stage in the whole game did we look like we’d be in the contest,” Kretiuk said.
“We got smashed inside. They were real good inside the contest – when they had the footy, they used it really well … we didn’t defend and when we had the footy, they really defended well.
“That’s why they’re the No. 1 team and we’re not.”
Hoppers Crossing fell to second on percentage.
Deer Park went back to top spot, a position it has become so familiar with in the past three seasons.
While there would be a dark cloud hovering over the Warriors’ standing as a genuine flag contenders, they only need to look to Deer Park for inspiration.
The Lions were walloped by Hoppers Crossing by a similar margin late in the home-and-away rounds last season and bounced back to complete the premiership three-peat.
“It was a disappointing day, but we’ll learn from it and move on,” said Kretiuk of the weekend’s defeat.
