Preview: Zebs Cross Town For City Oval Showdown

There’s no better way to spend your Sunday than taking in a blockbuster double header at City Oval!

Who: Sandringham
Where: Box Hill City Oval
When: Sunday, 2:05pm
TV/Streaming: Live stream available via the VFL Match Centre

Double Delight

The Hawks and Zebras are set for back-to-back clashes on Sunday, as the teams do battle in the VFLW and VFL.

It’s a potential VFLW finals preview to kick the day off, with the second-placed Zebras arriving at City Oval to take on the third-placed Hawks from 11:35am, before our ladder-topping VFL side tackle the 20th placed visitors from 2:05pm.

It makes Box Hill City Oval the place to be for Hawks and Saints fans on Sunday, on account of the AFL sides meeting the night before at Marvel.

Past Five Meetings

Round 7, 2024: Box Hill 13.9 87 def. Sandringham 11.16 82
Round 19, 2023: Box Hill 17.19 121 def. Sandringham 11.8 74
Round 3, 2022: Box Hill 15.10 100 def. Sandringham 7.14 56
Round 3, 2021: Sandringham 15.8 98 def. by Box Hill 19.14 128
Round 12, 2019: Box Hill 12.11 83 def. Sandringham 6.10 46

A Little Bit of History

Played 43 (since 1996) – Box Hill 29, Sandringham 13, one draw

The Hawks hold a favourable overall record against Sandringham, underpinned by a phenomenal run of 13 wins in succession dating back to round 6, 2015.

In fact, when it comes to the Zebras Box Hill are 19 wins, one draw and one loss dating all the way back to 2008.

Two of those 19 wins came in September – in elimination and preliminary finals, respectively.

The teams were deadlocked at half-time of the 2012 Elimination Final, before the Hawks booted 10.8 to 6.2 after half-time to run out five-goal winners.

Three years later in the 2015 Preliminary Final Box Hill jumped out of the blocks to lead by 29-points at quarter time, only for Sandy to chip away at the deficit throughout the afternoon.

The Hawks’ early advantage was whittled down to 14-points come half-time and was just 11-points at the last change. Ultimately, the Zebras’ challenge ran out of time before it did steam, as the Hawks held on to clinch a place in the 2015 decider by seven points.

In more recent times the two clubs have played out a couple of noteworthy matches.

In the 2021 meeting at Trevor Barker Beach Oval the Zebras booted nine goals to nil in an incredible second term to seemingly  sew up the points.

With the wind blowing a gale Box Hill were able to trim a 37-point half-time deficit to just three points come three quarter time, but with 22 of the 27 goals kicked to the end Sandy were attacking in the last the game was surely over. Surely…

No, actually, it wasn’t.

The Sam Mitchell coached Hawks kicked 6.4 to 1.1 in the final quarter to claim an incredible five goal win. Fergus Greene kicked 5.1, while Vincent Adduci kicked three and had 21 touches. In an amusing note, to this day the stats indicate Adduci kicked four, when in reality he was incorrectly credited a goal kicked by Brayden Kilpatrick.

Josh Deluca was sensational with 31 disposals and seven clearances, Daniel Howe impressed with 33, a goal and 10 clearances, while Jai Newcombe had 23 and booted a goal of his own.

Last time out in Round 7, 2024, the Hawks lead by as much as 43-points part way through the second term, only to see Sandy chip away at the margin and, eventually, pinch the lead at the 26-minute mark of the last.

Having seen the lead and the points seemingly slip through their fingers, Box Hill needed a hero. Anyone.

Up stepped club stalwart Stu Horner, a career defender playing in his 50th match. He had never kicked so much as a point for the football club but was exactly who the Hawks needed in that moment.

He strolled in and arrowed a 50m set shot straight through the uprights to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Cal Brown was at his very best to win 35 touches and take eight marks, Cal Porter finished with 20 disposals, 12 tackles and eight clearances, Josh Ward was busy to win 29 possessions and Ben Cavarra was magnificent with four goals from 17 touches.

The Season So Far

Box Hill – played twelve, won 10, lost two – first on the VFL ladder; form W, L, W, W, W

Sandringham – played twelve, won one, drawn one, lost ten – 20th on the VFL ladder; form D, L, L, L, L

While at opposite ends of the VFL ladder and enjoying contrasting fortunes across the 2025 season, Sandy are not a team be taken lightly.

In the past five weeks they’ve drawn with the Gold Coast Suns, were 12-points down to Frankston before the Dollies kicked away in the last, were beaten by a kick after the siren at Collingwood and ran Williamstown to 11-points at Point Gellibrand.

Earlier in the season they fell to Richmond by a kick and Carlton by 18-points. So while their campaign has had it’s challenges, they’ve been competitive for large spells.

Box Hill have recovered in excellent fashion from the round 10 loss to Collingwood to beat Frankston, Coburg and North Melbourne in subsequent weeks by 63, 38 and 60 points to improve to 10-and-two on the year.

These three successive wins and a string of complementary results elsewhere have catapulted the Hawks to a game clear atop the VFL ladder as we enter the final third of the home and away season.

Selection News

Box Hill have made four changes to the team which defeated North Melbourne last Saturday, re-gaining the experienced heads of Sam Frost and Jack Scrimshaw and a developing duo in Jamie Uhr-Henry and Jack Baldwin – the latter of whom has been named to debut.

From the side which rolled the Roos comes Ned Reeves, Noah Mraz, Matt Hill and Nathan Philactides.

Reeves and Mraz each picked up knocks out of the trip to Arden Street, while Hill has been managed.

One(s) To Watch

I know I’ve used him once before, but where at the time of the year in which double-ups start to appear in this segment of the match preview.

Kye Declase has had a super year at City Oval, having joined the Club in the pre-season.

The classy, goal-kicking wingman has a return of 15.10 from his 12 games in the brown and gold. He’s booted majors in nine of those games, including multiple goals on five occasions.

In last weekend’s win at Arden Street, Declase had 25 touches, took seven marks and kicked three sensational goals – all of which came during an electrifying final quarter cameo.

One feels like he’s starting to really warm into season 2025…

How To Follow

Match coverage will be provided via our social channels throughout the match, while a radio call will be available via our wonderful community partners at 3WBC 94.1FM.

Where to Watch

You can catch the live stream via the VFL match centre.