Hawks Hold On To Claim Season Opening Win

The Box Hill Hawks have kicked off the 2025 campaign with a nail-biting four-point win over Carlton on Friday Night.

The Hawks controlled large parts of the match and looked home and hosed when Luke Breust’s third of the night gave his side a 32-point lead with 14-minutes played in the last quarter. 

But three goals in five minutes gave the Blues a sniff and a renewed interest in sensationally snatching the result. When Box Hill failed the close the door Carlton kept levering it open, kicking another two goals to draw within a kick with 90 seconds to play.

Fortunately, the Hawks weren’t made to rue the 12 more inside 50s, nine more scoring shots, five more clearances and 92-minutes spent in front, doing just about enough to see out the result in a frantic final minute. 

All told, it was a night in which efficiency was key. The door was only ajar because the Hawks had been a touch wasteful; and Carlton were as close as they got because of how clinical they were in front of goal.

Debutant Trent Bianco was adjudged to be the Hawks’ best player on the night, just beating out the super impressive Henry Hustwaite for the coaches’ plaudits.

The Box Hill pair tallied a an equal game-high 30 touches on the night, while Hustwaite managed game-highs in clearances (11) and contested possessions (19). For his part Bianco covered the field beautifully to take 10 marks, win five clearances of his own and record six inside 50s. 

Seamus Mitchell was another to have a profound impact on proceedings, playing predominantly back of centre and both helping to diffuse dangerous Carlton attacks and set-up counters out of half-back. The dashing no.40 had 20 disposals and took 10 marks.

Max Ramsden’s development continues apace and the forward-ruck ought to take heart from a strong showing first up. ‘Rama’ booted two first quarter goals, finishing with seven marks and 15 disposals on a night in which he was a reliable focal point ahead of the ball and showed great presence in the air.

Another debutant to impress was Kye Declase. Perennially one of the very best players in the state leagues, Declase patrolled his wing from first siren to last, winning 23 disposals, driving the Hawks inside 50 four times, rebounding out of defensive 50 three times and pulling in a game-high 11 marks.

Having tormented the Hawks time and again during his stint with Werribee, it was excellent to see Declase strutting his stuff in the brown and gold.

Lastly among Box Hill’s best was reigning best-and-fairest winner Jai Serong. Since his shift to defence, Serong has become one of the stand-out key defenders in the VFL, forging a reputation as a fantastic organiser behind the ball, strong in the air and an excellent distributor. His 16 touches, five marks and six rebounds barely tells the story of how important a game he produced. 

Understandably cagey and a touch stop-start in the early going, the Blues started the match the better and kicked the opening two goals of the evening via Ashton Moir and Ollie Badr.

Box Hill’s skipper Cal Porter popped up to boot his side’s first six-pointer of the year, before Liam McMahon canceled it out almost immediately. But the following eight minutes saw the Hawks settle into the match and take control.

Max Ramsden marked strongly and kicked truly, Jake Arundell pitched a right-footer to the teeth of goal which Corey Preston prodded home and Ramsden added a second to give Box Hill a handy break.

A late Carlton goal drew the Blues to within a kick at the first change, but as soon as the match threatened to break open the two sides returned to the field and set about locking one another down between the arcs.

Just 16 points were scored int he second quarter, fortunately 14 of them belonged to the team in brown and gold.

Jasper Scaife kicked a beauty inside the opening minute of the term, before debutant Matt Hill kicked his first goal at the level after 12 minutes. Otherwise both sides set about stifling the other. Crucially, however, Zane Littlejohn’s men had turned a five point quarter time lead into a 17-point half time advantage. 

The hosts kicked the first two goals of the second half to edge within a solitary goal, but again the Hawks wrestled back the momentum and initiative via the boot of Jake Arundell, who produced back-to-back goals to restore his side’s three goal advantage.

The experienced Luke Breust was on hand to kick a vital goal after the three quarter time siren to send the Hawks and Blues to the last change of ends separated by 25-points. 

A goal to Harry Lemmey was precisely what Carlton were after early in the last, but again Breust was in the right place at the right time to get the points back. When he booted his third a short while later the Hawks looked odds on to claim the points.

Slowly but surely, though, the Blues fought back. McMahon, Hogg and Moir went bang, bang, bang to reduce the gap to 14-points, before Ethan Stanley saw a pair of efforts to seal things sail agonisingly wide. 

Will White’s first and McMahon second set up a grandstand finish, but the Hawks were good enough to see the final minutes out and take the spoils.

Box Hill return to action next Saturday afternoon at Box Hill City, taking on North Melbourne at 2:05pm.

Box Hill	4.6	6.8	9.11	11.14 80
Carlton	4.1	4.3	6.4	12.4 76

Best: Bianco, Hustwaite, Mitchell, Ramsden, Declase, Serong

Goals: Breust 3, Ramsden, Arundell 2, Scaife, Preston, Porter, Hill

Disposals: Hustwaite 30, Bianco 30, Declase 23, Mitchell, 20, MacDonald 19, Wood 18, Stanley 18