Match Preview: Giants Await Hawks
The Box Hill Hawks are set to host a high stakes, high quality double header on Sunday, welcoming the GWS Giants and Geelong to take on our VFL and VFLW sides.
The day also doubles as the Club’s Pride Round celebrations, with both sides to show our support for Hawks Pride and the broader LGBTQ community.
Who: GWS Giants
Where: Home
When: Sunday, 2:05pm
Radio: 3WBC, 94.1FM
TV/Streaming: VFL live stream available via the VFL Match Centre; VFLW live stream available via the VFLW Match Centre.
Double Header
Sunday’s action kicks off from 11:30 am, with our third placed VFLW side entertaining the 14th placed Geelong.
The action comes to a close when the seventh placed Box Hill host the 14th placed Giants from 2:05pm.
Box Hill: played 9, won 6, lost 3 – 7th on the ladder
GWS Giants: played 8, won 3, lost 5 – 14th on the ladder
A Little Bit of History
Played 2 – Box Hill 1, GWS Giants 1
The Hawks and Giants have met twice since the AFL’s youngest team entered the VFL prior to the 2022 season, with both encounters taking place at the orange team’s Western Sydney home ground.
The first clash, back in 2022, took place on a rain sodden Sunday in early July.
With Sydney lashed by rain all weekend neither side could afford to concede a start, but unfortunately for the team in brown and gold things didn’t quite go to plan.
The hosts got away to a flyer, kicking the first four goals of the game inside 11 minutes and, in effect, ended the game as a contest in doing so.
James Parsons pulled one back before back-to-back Giants goals edged them out to a 31-point lead.
The Hawks finished the quarter off better than they started it, but could only produce three behinds out of an encouraging period of footy and finished the term 28-points in arrears.
The sides split the second frame 4.2 apiece, but needing to make headway after half time Box Hill kicked 2.11 to GWS’s 4.2 to finish 31-points adrift come the final siren.
Josh Ward was the Hawks’ best performed player on the day, finishing with 27 touches, eight clearances and a goal, while Finn Maginness had 28 disposals and five clearances in a fine performance.
Box Hill flipped the script on their next visit north, running out winners by 14-points on the back of a superb second quarter.
One point behind at the first change, Zane Littlejohn’s men booted 5.3 to the Giants 2.1 to gap their rivals and established a handy cushion. Thereafter the boys in brown and gold managed the margin expertly, surviving a Wade Derksen inspired surge late on to secure the points.
Lachlan Bramble’s second goal of the match early in the last quarter saw the Hawks get out to a 35-point lead and, seemingly, secure all four points. But Derksen kicked goals after eight, 13, 15 and 18 minutes to get the Giants to within eight points with plenty of time on the clock.
But a late Brandon Ryan goal settled Box Hill’s nerves and confirmed an all-important victory.
Cal Brown was exceptional on his way to 34 touches, five clearances, four inside 50s and four rebound 50s, while Lloyd Meek was the dominant big man on the ground and recorded 18 touches, six clearances, 31 hit outs and an important goal.
2023 So Far
Box Hill bounced back from a disappointing home loss to Brisbane a fortnight ago by comfortably beating rivals Essendon last weekend to move to six and three on the season and seventh place on the ladder.
Humbled by the Lions eight days earlier, the Hawks were ruthless in seeing off the Bombers at Windy Hill, finishing their hosts off inside an hour.
19 points to the good at quarter time, Box Hill kicked 7.3 to Essendon’s 0.2 in the second term to go to the long break 62-points in front – and keep the Bombers goalless to half time in the process.
Essendon gave a better account of themselves in the second half, something reflected in the overall tightness of the contest on the field and scoreboard for that period. Although slightly wasteful in very windy conditions, the Hawks kicked 6.10 to the Bombers 5.6 after half time to claim a valuable victory and four points.
It’s been a roller coaster six-week period for Box Hill. Having beaten Sydney they dropped the next match to the Bulldogs, held on in extraordinary circumstances against Sandringham, lost badly to Brisbane, before bouncing back against the Bombers.
They’ll no doubt be out to claim back-to-back victories for the first time since round five.
As for the Giants, they’re winless in their last four having suffered losses to the Swans, Dolphins, Bulldogs and Cats. It’s a run of form which has left the GWS in 14th on the ladder and eight points adrift of the wildcard placings.
Having given up a five goal start, they were beaten by 61-points last weekend against Geelong down at GMHBA Stadium.
30-points behind at quarter time, they rallied to win the second term 3.1 to 2.2, but managed 4.4 to the Cats’ 9.10 after half time.
Wade Derksen was the Giants’ best player on the day, finishing the afternoon as their highest ranked player and greatest ball-winner. He had 29 touches, took 10 marks and provided 10 rebounds 50s.
Otherwise, Max Gruzewksi booted three goals from eight touches and Harry Rowston performed strongly in midfield to record 26 touches and seven clearances.
Selection News
Box Hill’s match committee have made four changes to the side which saw off Essendon last weekend, recalling exciting swingman Jaylon Thorpe for his first hit-out since the round three loss to the Gold Coast and developing key back Jai Serong – who missed last weekend while in concussion protocols.
There are two debutants, also, with the Hawks’ mid-season draftee Jasper Scaife and an Eastern Ranges and Hawthorn Academy flyer Cody Anderson named to play their first games in the brown and gold.
To make way for four inclusions there are four omissions. Cal Brown has been ruled out with a knock, while Nathan Philactides has also been ruled out due to a niggle.
They’re joined among the outs by developing tall pair Josh Tovey and Jett Latchford, who miss out on balance.
One(s) to Watch
Pretty hard to go past the new boys!
The 197cm tall Jasper Scaife, out of West Perth in the WAFL, will get his first taste of life in the VFL and more than likely lead the line out of the goal square; meanwhile, Cody Anderson, a 181cm hard nosed, ball-winning, goal-kicking midfielder will experience senior state league football for the first time.
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 match centre!
VFL live stream available via the VFL Match Centre; VFLW live stream available via the VFLW Match Centre.
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.
