IT was one hurdle too many for a gallant Footscray in the Hockey Victoria women's state league 2.

The Bulldogs were simply no match for the might of the promotion-confirmed Altona Seagulls on the road at JK Grant Reserve on Saturday.

They went down 5-1 in the final home-and-away game of the season and missed out on the finals by one game.

Bulldogs president Neil Coster praised the efforts of his young team who came up from the third tier at the end of last season.

"They would be a bit disappointed [to miss out]," he said. "In the same breath, they're happy they've gone up a grade and performed well. It's a big jump."

The Bulldogs never seriously threatened to inflict a boilover.

The Seagulls were not about to do any favours for their neighbours as they needed the win to say they have gone through the season undefeated.

The Gulls' strike force, led by three-goal star Emma Aitken, was on-song from the outset.

"Altona came down from state league 1 last year and were always going to be the team to beat," Coster said. "They're a class act so it wasn't unexpected."

The 2010 season will go down as a rebuilding period for the Bulldogs.

They will be much better for the challenge when they reload again next winter.

The Seagulls, on the other hand, have a finals series to prepare for.

The A's have a chance to move directly into the grand final when they meet Albury-Wodonga in the qualifying final at the State Hockey Centre in Parkville on Sunday at 2.15pm.

■It's do or die for Footscray in week one of the men's state league 2 finals.

The Bulldogs have set up an elimination final with Mentone in the early game at the State Hockey Centre on Sunday.

They will take to the field at 10.45am after finishing in fourth place.

Coster is confident the Bulldogs can move into the second week.

"I reckon we can beat them," he said.

The Bulldogs head into the finals on the back of a 2-1 loss to Kew in Saturday's final regular season game in Box Hill on Saturday.

The Doggies rested star import Robbie Smith and used some of their players sparingly to ease them into a finals series.

Coster insisted tough love in the form of a last round defeat couldn't hurt.

"They threw everything at us," Coster said. "It was a good warm-up for the finals. At least we won't go into the finals with our heads up our bum thinking we're unbeatable."

Lance Jenkinson