Hoppers Crossing has left the door slightly ajar for a raid on its position in the Western Region Football League’s division 1 top five.
The Warriors received a post-match grilling from seething coach Steven Kretiuk, who labelled his side “non-competitive” after its 24-point loss to Altona on the road at JK Grant Reserve.
PICTURE GALLERY: Hoppers Crossing v Altona
“It was our worst performance of the year,” Kretiuk said. “We just had so many non- contributors and so many who dropped their head on the day.
“We saw the warning signs in the second half against Port Melbourne Colts last week, and some of our training standards during the week flowed on to the game.
“If you lose, you lose, but when you don’t have the desire to compete, well, we’ll look to someone else.”
The fifth-placed Warriors remain nestled two games and percentage safe inside the top five but have undoubtedly kissed their double-chance hopes goodbye.
They face fourth-placed St Albans in a huge game on the road at Kings Park Reserve on Saturday in what could be an elimination final preview if ladder positions remain unchanged between now and the finals.
Kretiuk will search for answers to the Altona debacle at training, promising a tough week on the track.
Thursday night selections may also throw up the odd surprise, though injuries to Jordan Taylor (ribs) and Jordan Cook (hamstring) may spare a big name or two.
“We’re going to have to make some decisions on players on performance,” Kretiuk said. “Whether you’re a VFL player or a Hoppers Crossing player, we’ll pick our side on performance and team balance from now on.”
The Warriors will be out to atone for the “belting” they received from the Saints in the first round.
Kretiuk stressed the importance of his side getting first use out of the centre, with the Warriors’ defence facing the prospect of being stretched by the bevy of Saints forward options.
“They’ve got a really potent forward line – four really good talls – but they’re also really strong on the inside so we need to match them,” he said. “We need to make sure we open up the game and use our pace and agility.”
Meanwhile, the new WRFL division 3 competition will make its long-awaited arrival this weekend, with Albanvale, Braybrook, Laverton Magpies, North Sunshine, Sanctuary Lakes and Tarneit breaking away from division 2.
Looking over the round of matches in both divisions, you can expect more competitive matches and tighter results, with sides matched closer to their standard of competition.
Check out www.wyndham.starweekly.com.au for more photos from Hoppers Crossing’s loss to Altona, as well as our mid-season footy special
Marks, biffs and blunders, featuring some of the best pictures taken at metropolitan grounds in the first half of 2014.
