Altona was dealt the harshest possible hand in the Western Region Football League division 1 on Saturday.
The Vikings went down to Hoppers Crossing by seven points in a game that was abandoned shortly after half-time due to lightning around JK Grant Reserve.
Barring intervention from league headquarters this week, the four points will be awarded to Hoppers Crossing because play had resumed in the second half.
Had the game been called off before half-time, the sides would have split the points.
Vikings coach Saade Ghazi was not happy with the turn of events brought upon by mother nature.
“If that’s the rule, that’s the rule, but if that’s the case, it would be quite disappointing,” he said. “I don’t think any team deserved to win and no team deserved to lose.
“It was a pretty even game, it was level at half-time. We had the wind in the third quarter and the storm came and the wind blew the other way, which is probably why they got in front [in the third quarter].”
While Ghazi was stewing over a tough day at the office, he believed the right decision was made to call off the game.
The storm lasted about 40 minutes and the cut-off point for umpires to end the game is 30 minutes.
While the ground was bathed in sunshine not long after, it would not have been in the players best interests to have to warm up again and finish the match.
“It’s a bit of a hollow feeling that you don’t get to finish the game off, but the players and umpires welfare is more crucial,” Ghazi said.
“The right call was made, but it probably should’ve been done in the second quarter.
“If we’ve come off for lightning, there was definitely a lot of lightning before half-time.”
Altona has faced both of last year’s grand finalists and been in control at certain stages in both games.
The Vikings were left to rue two five minute patches either side of half-time against Hoppers Crossing, which saw the four points slip out of their hands in unforeseen circumstances.
While the Vikings have no points to show for six and a bit quarters of impressive football, they have shown they can match it with the very best in the competition again this season and should be considered a serious threat to four-peat champions Deer Park.
“We’ve still got a long way to go, but I was happy with our desire and effort,” Ghazi said.
“If our effort is high and we’re competitive around the football, that will get us to be in games and we were in that game [against Hoppers Crossing].
“It would’ve gone down to the wire, I would think.”
Meanwhile, Spotswood sent a warning to the rest of the competition with a 34-point win over defending premiers Deer Park at McLean Reserve.
Wayne Patak, who returned to the Woodsmen in the off season, was the standout in the midfield, while James Beilby bobbed up with three goals and Conor Daley and Murray Boyd kicked two apiece.
Elsewhere in division 1, Sunshine Kangaroos had an 83-point win over Albion, Wyndhamvale was too strong for Caroline Springs in a 20-point victory, while Werribee Districts held off St Albans by four points.
In division 3, Parkside cruised to a 142-point win over Laverton at Henry Turner Reserve, with boom recruit Jason Cloke kicking nine goals.
Braybrook went down by 15 points to Wyndham Suns and Tarneit edged out Sunshine Heights by nine points in games that were both cut short by the severe storms, while North Sunshine thrashed Sanctuary Lakes by 45 points in a game that went the distance.
