A furious Hodgson locked his players behind closed doors for 15 minutes in the wake of the 105-point hiding which was the heftiest defeat since Wangaratta thrashed North Albury by 92 points in the corresponding match in 1976.

It was also the first time a side had failed to score a goal in the first half of a qualifying final since Wangaratta in 1973 and was the lowest score since the Hoppers managed a paltry 2.7 (19) in 1974.

A fuming Hodgson said Yarrawonga physically intimated his players and warned they would have to improve dramatically to defeat Wodonga Raiders in the first semi-final.

“I thought we were insipid,” Hodgson said.

“They bullied us physically I thought.

“That’s something that hasn’t happened to us many times as we pride ourselves on at least being competitive physically.

“We went into the game with some concerns about their height up forward and ability to spread and use the footy, but we certainly didn’t expect to be bullied.

“We got bullied around and that’s bitterly disappointing because it’s one of the things we stand for as a group.

“When that happens, we are a pretty average side.”

Yarrawonga slammed on 7.4 to 0.2 in the opening quarter with Steve McKee terrorising the Hopper defence with four goals inside the opening 15 minutes of the match.

It was a brilliant performance by the Pigeons with their only scare coming at the 12-minute-mark of the second term when coach Craig Ednie was slung in a tackle and landed on his troublesome shoulder.

He came off the ground minutes later before returning to the fray in the third quarter and playing in a forward pocket for the rest of the match.

“It’s not too bad,” Ednie said.