Match Preview: Hawks Host Roos
Box Hill City Oval will host its first double header of 2024 on Saturday, as the Box Hill Hawks welcome North Melbourne to Whitehorse Road for a bumper day of high quality, high stakes football. Australia
Who: North Melbourne
Where: Box Hill City Oval
When: Saturday – VFLW AT 11:30am; VFL at 2:05pm
Radio: 3WBC, 94.1FM
TV/Streaming: available to stream via the VFL match centre
Box Hill: played 3, won 2, lost 1 – 6th on the ladder
North Melbourne: played 3, won 3 – 3rd on the ladder
A Little Bit of History
Played: 5 – Box Hill 3, North Melbourne 2
Box Hill have played the standalone North Melbourne on five occasions since the Kangaroos entered their own team into the competition prior to 2018.
North had the better of early exchanges, winning the first two meetings by 36 and two points, respectively, before the Hawks turned the tables to claim the last three match-ups.
The first win in this sequence came in mid-2021, a season ultimately undone by COVID lockdowns.
On a sometimes chilly winter’s day at Box Hill City Oval, Sam Mitchell’s Hawks kicked 16 goals to three in the second half, including 10 goals to nil in a brutal final term, to roll the Northerners by 108-points.
Daniel Howe was superb in amassing 37 touches and kicking two goals, while also laying nine tackles and winning seven clearances.
Josh Morris kicked five goals from 17 disposals, while the one-two punch of ruck duo Jon Ceglar and Keegan Brooksby kicked two apiece.
In his second-to-last game of VFL football before being picked up by Hawthorn in the Mid-Season Draft, Jai Newcombe franked speculation he was destined for an AFL call up by having 21 possessions, kicking two goals, laying 10 tackles and winning four clearances.
Box Hill favourite Brayden Kilpatrick was typically excellent in winning 34 touches, taking nine marks and kicking a goal, while current Frankston captain Trent Mynott had 26, eight clearances and kicked a superb goal.
In the two years which followed Box Hill have proven to be too strong in back-to-back matches at Arden Street, winning the 2022 meeting by 71-points and 2023’s match-up by five points.
14-points down at half time and six-points in arrears with one quarter to play the last time they met, Box Hill gave up the first goal of the final term, before rallying back to kick four of the final five majors of the match – including a vital long range strike from Harry Morrison and an equally important settler from the boot of Max Hall.
North’s team that day boasted the likes of Aaron Hall (43 disposals), Todd Goldstein (35 hit-outs) and Hugh Greenwood (24 disposals, 13 tackles), but it was the efforts of Jai Serong, Max Hall, Sam Butler and Cal Brown which guided the Hawks to a nail-biting victory.
2023 So Far
Having won their first two hit-outs of 2024, Box Hill suffered defeat at the third time of asking last weekend, beaten by a powerful and fired up Gold Coast at People’s First Stadium.
The reigning premiers kept the Hawks goalless to half-time – the first time this had happened since Round 7, 1999 against Frankston. Worse, it was the Club’s second lowest half-time score of all-time, just one behind better than the 0.2 managed against Brunswick in the first ever VFA match played at Box Hill City Oval.
But, as disappointing as the first half was, Zane Littlejohn’s side responded well after half-time to win the half.
Harry Morrison, Cal Porter, Cal Brown and Jack Gunston lead the way, while Jai Serong was commendable in defence.
As for North, the Kangaroos have enjoyed a perfect 3-0 start to 2024, seeing off the challenges of the Northern Bullants, Carlton and Brisbane in back-to-back weeks to be one of four teams with a 100% record after three rounds.
Leading the Lions by five points at three quarter time last weekend, early goals to Sam Lowson and ex-Hawk Lachlan Wynd looked to have the Kangaroos in the driver’s seat, before two goals from the boot of another former Hawk, Brandon Ryan, saw the Lions wrestle back the lead.
Trailing by five points with 27 minutes gone, dangerous small Sam Lowson popped up late on to kick the goal which finalised the scoring and settled the result once and for all.
Selection News
Zane Littlejohn and his coaching group have made nine changes to the side which fell to Gold Coast a week ago.
Harry Morrison, Jai Serong and Jack Gunston have all been called into the Hawks’ senior set-up, while Jaylon Thorpe, Ned Reeves and Josh Bennetts miss due to knocks picked up against The Suns.
Stu szn.
— Box Hill Hawks (@BoxHillHawks) April 19, 2024
MORE: https://t.co/opaig68Ykc pic.twitter.com/TgugFROK4B
Lane Ward, Daniel Wood and Andrew Mathieson have all made way, too, allowing for the additions of Changkuoth Jiath, Josh Ward and Sam Butler, among others.
Joining the long list of additions are the good-news trio of Nathan Philactides, Josh Tovey and Stu Horner – the latter of whom makes his first appearance for 2024, while ‘Phila’ and ‘Toves’ will make their Box Hill Hawks debuts.
One(s) to Watch
Its to go past a pair of first-gamers, eh! Nathan Philactides will add some run across the ground, while Josh Tovey could be deployed ahead of or behind the ball in a key post.
Philactides joins the club from the Oakleigh Chargers, while Tovey cut his teeth for the Eastern Ranges. Both have impressed throughout pre-season with their attitude and application in training and will look to bring their strengths to their brown and gold debuts.
How To Follow
Match coverage will be provided via our social channels throughout the day, while a radio call will be available via our wonderful community partners 3WBC 94.1FM.
Where To Watch
You can catch the live stream via the VFL’s match centre! The first bounce is scheduled for 2:05pm
Membership
Membership, as always, is the best way to support the Box Hill Hawks in 2024!
You can purchase your 2024 Box Hill Hawks membership via this link.
