The Hoppers kept their double chance hopes alive by steamrolling the Wangaratta Rovers by 53 points at Bunton Park, but they remain behind Raiders and Yarrawonga on the ladder.

“There is still a long way to go,” Akermanis said.

“We’ve got to play Yarra, Raiders have got to play Yarra…the last three rounds are always tough.”

It was a tight contest for the first three quarters, with the Rovers wasting chances to be 3.12 at one stage.

A Josh Lloyd goal on the three-quarter time siren – he booted five – gave North a three-goal break at the last change and in the final stanza the Hoppers piled on seven majors to one.

“They were a bit bigger and a bit stronger than us,” Hawks coach Paul Maher said.

“When they came out and tried to do that physical stuff at the start, I thought we responded appropriately and matched them in that regard all day.”