Match Preview: Hawks Bound For Princes Park Opener

The Brown and Gold will take on the Old Dark Blues for the first time in 1,083 days on Friday night, kicking off the 2025 VFL season under the IKON Park lights.

Who: Carlton
Where: Ikon Park
When: Friday, 7:05pm
TV/Streaming: VFL live stream available via the VFL Match Centre

Opening Stand

What better way to kickstart the new campaign than a blockbuster clash against the Blues?

We encourage all Hawks fans to make their way out to Carlton North to take in the action.

A Little Bit of History

As stated in the intro, it’s been a fair while between meetings for Box Hill and Carlton.

Having not played one another in 2023 and 2024, we have to go back to round 2, 2022 to discuss the last time the Blues and Hawks clashed at VFL level.

That day at Box Hill City Oval it was Carlton who claimed the points, kicking 9.3 to 1.4 in the last term to run over the top of their hosts and record a comfortable 46-point win.

Paddy Dow (30 touches, 15 clearances, two goals), Will Hayes (37 disposals) and Jesse Motlop (four goals) were the chief destroyers for the Blues, while Tom Phillips (28 touches), Fergus Greene (three goals) and James Parsons (22 disposals, 10 clearances) were among the best for Box Hill.

Remarkably, the sides have played just one other game since the Blues re-launched their in-house VFL program.

On that occasion, incidentally the last time the Hawks played at IKON Park for premiership points, it was the Brown and Gold who did a number on Carlton, running out 84-point winners.

It’s so long ago that Jai Newcombe wasn’t yet AFL-listed!

On that day Newcombe retuned 27 disposals and 10 clearances, while Jonathan Ceglar and Vincent Adduci put forward compelling cases for best afield honours.

‘Duce’ kicked five classy goals from 22 disposals, while Ceglar dominated the contest from go to woah, winning 24 touches, nine clearances and 33 hit-outs.

Between the 18 minute mark of the first term and 25 minute mark of the third term, the Hawks booted a staggering 14 goals in succession. A repeat of that on Friday night would do just nicely.

The Shape of the List

Box Hill have 27 listed players at present, including 13 players retained from 2024.

Those familiar faces are: Ben Cavarra, Cal Porter, Tyler Brown, Jake Arundell, Stu Horner, Jett Latchford, Daniel Wood, Seb Amoroso, Nathan Philactides, Andreas Stefanakis, Lane Ward, Jye Peacock and Billy Hicks.

Joining the Club for the new campaign are experienced types Kye Declase (Werribee), Corey Preston (Werribee), Trent Bianco (Footscray), Billy McCormack (Central District), Sam Durdin (Carlton AFL) and Ethan Stanley (Fremantle), the latter of whom re-joins the Hawks after a stint in the west with the Dockers.

While exciting developing prospects arrive in the form of Jack Sammartino, Zac McGown, Griff Julian, Max Donohue, Will Kellar, Blake Simondson, Tom Farrer and Jack Baldwin.

The Brain’s Trust

Continuity is the name of the game, and with that in mind Zane Littlejohn returns for a third season at the helm, while Arryn Siposs will take on the backline portfolio, Andy Collins the midfield reins and Cam Howat the forward line.

There is a new face among our coaching ranks, also, with AFL and VFL premiership player Jacob Townsend lending his expertise as Head of Development.

Selection News

Littlejohn and his match committee have named six new faces, including off-season recruits Kye Declase, Trent Bianco and Corey Preston, while youngster Jack Sammartino’s excellent pre-season has been rewarded with a VFL-debut alongside Hawthorn youngsters Noah Mraz and Matt Hill.

In all 12 AFL-listed Hawks will take the field, headlined by the experienced Luke Breust, reigning Box Hill Best and Fairest Jai Serong and big man Ned Reeves.

The side will be lead, as always, by Cal Porter and his Vice-Captain Stu Horner, while Gippsland product Lane Ward has gotten the nod as 23rd man.

One(s) to Watch

It’s got to be one of the brand new toys, surely. I’ve been writing these long enough to know to just pick one to get this series starting. It’s a long season and I don’t want to be doubling up on the ‘One To Watch’ shout-outs in round four.

With that in mind it’s going to be Kye Declase. The classy, powerful, goal kicking hybrid wingman is one of the very best players in the state league ecosystem and will add some much-needed firepower to the Hawks in 2025.

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! The VFL live stream is available via the VFL Match Centre.