Wangaratta coach Ben Reid admits his star-studded team is complacent after a stunning 0-2 start to the Ovens and Murray Football League season.
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North Albury upset the Pies with a 10-point home win on Saturday.
The Hoppers haven't played finals for nine years, while Wangaratta has made the top three every year since 2017.
And the Pies were one of the big winners of the off-season, signing a handful of players expected to feature in the league's top 10, including ex-AFL midfielder Pat Naish.
North has deservedly received tremendous praise for its best win since last playing finals in 2015, breaking a 12-match losing streak against the Pies, dating back to round 16, 2006.
But, along with the Hoppers, Wangaratta is the story after two rounds.
Reid is always extremely approachable and was still the same on Saturday, but it's hard to remember him being as dissatisfied with a game during his three years as coach.
"We're very, very disappointed, you can tell how flat it is, to be brutally honest, we're not playing like a team, we're being a bit selfish," Reid said.
"I reckon we're hoping it's going to happen, if you think it's just going to happen and you don't have to do the hard yards, you're going to get bitten on the bum."
Reid was then quizzed if the players were complacent.
"I think it is, yeah, a little bit," he replied.
"You get what you deserve in footy and we deserve to have lost the first two games."
Wangaratta Rovers toppled Wangaratta by 12 points in round one.
"The only way to turn around form is hard work," he declared.
"We'll get to work this week, we got to work last week and I thought today (Saturday) was a step in the right direction, but we're not doing the things that make us a very good footy side."
Although it's only a fortnight into an 18-round season, the Pies' top three hopes could rest on Saturday's home clash against Wodonga under lights.
In the corresponding game last year, the Bulldogs scored a stunning 24-point upset, although in Wangaratta's defence it wasn't playing for any competition points as punishment after being found guilty of breaking the salary cap in 2022 and losing its premiership.
There's no excuses this time for Wangaratta against a Wodonga which has split its matches, albeit with terrible inaccuracy of 11.33.
If the visitors topple the Pies, it would be hard to believe the latter could beat premiers Yarrawonga the following week and a 0-4 start would be a death knell to a top three finish.
