Preview: One Step From A Crack At The Cup

The Hawks travel out west to tackle Footscray in Saturday’s win-or-go-home Preliminary Final on Saturday afternoon – a seventh such final for Box Hill since 2013 – with the boys in brown and gold hoping to qualify for a first Grand Final since 2018.

Who: Footscray
Where:  Whitten Oval
When: Saturday at 2:10pm
TV/Streaming: 7Mate from 2:10pm; live streamed on 7plus and available via the VFL Match Centre

Past Five Meetings

Round 20, 2025: Footscray 11.7 73 def. Box Hill 7.12 54
Round 6, 2024: Footscray 10.13 73 def. Box Hill 9.6 60
2023 2nd Semi Final: Box Hill 14.11 95 def. Footscray 10.15 75
Round 21, 2023: Box Hill 8.8 56 def. by Footscray 11.10 76
Round 14, 2022: Footscray 14.10 94 def. Box Hill 6.10 46

Ticketing

Fans wishing to attend the game are encouraged to pre-purchase their tickets via this link.

Wear Your Colours

We ask for this every week, but it’s more important this weekend than it was last: if you’re coming to the match wear your colours, be vocal, be passionate and do every little thing you can to inspire the boys to victory. 

A Little Bit of History

Played 13 (since 2014) – Box Hill 6, Footscray 6, 1 draw
Played 3 Finals: Box Hill 2 (2015 Qualifying Final, 2023 Semi Final), Footscray 1 (2014 Grand Final) 

The two teams last met a little over a month ago, in round 20 at Box Hill City Oval.

The Dogs ran out 19-point winners on the day, claiming the points By virtue of of a more clinical and efficient performance.

For their part, The Hawks would’ve walked away frustrated by a combination of poor connection inside 50 and wayward kicking for goal. 

Box Hill finished the contest +1 for scoring shots, +7 for inside 50s, +32 for hit-outs and +12 for clearance, kicking 1.7 in a dominant second term and coming in to the half-time team talk 10-points down when they could’ve easily been well in front.

To their credit, the Bulldogs were the better team on the day and deserving winners – but there was less between the sides than the scoreboard suggested.

Otherwise, the teams have played in three finals since Footscray entered the VFL in 2014, with Box Hill edging those encounters two-to-one.

The Dogs claimed ultimate bragging rights in taking out the 2014 VFL Grand Final, coming from six-points down at the last change to win by 22-points.

A year later the Hawks exacted a measure of revenge on Qualifying Final day. 13-points behind at quarter time, Box Hill kicked 6.3 to 1.1 in the second term, before laying on 7.2 to Footscray’s 4.3 in the third term to blow the game wide open.

Six goals to the good with one to play, the Hawks managed the game expertly in the final period to win through to a Preliminary Final.

The last time Box Hill and The ‘Scray squared off in September was the 2023 Semi Final. Having lost to Werribee a week prior, the Hawks were out to avoid a first-ever straight sets finals exit when they hosted the Dogs at City Oval.

10-points to the good at the last change, the hosts held their nerve to set-up a handy break, survive a Footscray comeback and, finally, close the door once and for all. 

Current Dog Lachy Bramble gave the Hawks the perfect start to the final quarter, only for Baku Khamis to kick his fifth to immediately cancel it out.

Three goals in six minutes from Fergus Greene, Ned Long and Sam Butler powered the brown and gold to a seemingly match-winning 27-point lead, only for Footscray to slowly but surely chip away at the deficit.

With 23 minutes played the margin was just seven points and nerves were beginning to fray.

Fergus Greene kicked a third and Max Ramsden his first to ease those nerves and send Box Hill through to a first Preliminary Final since 2018.

Bramble was best afield for the Hawks, kicking 1.2 from 32 touches, while Damian Mascitti was magnificent out of half-back with 22 touches, 12 marks and seven rebounds. 

In front of goal Fergus Greene and Brandon Ryan each booted three for the hosts, while small forward Jake Arundell was at his dangerous and busy best with two goals from 20 touches.

The Season So Far

Box Hill – Home and Away: played 18, won 14, lost four – finished second on the VFL ladder; Finals: lost Qualifying Final to Southport, beat Brisbane in Semi Final; form W, L, L, L, W

Footscray – Home and Away played 18, won 15, lost three – finished first on the VFL ladder; Finals: won Qualifying Final against Frankston; form W, W, W, W, W

The Hawks bounced back from Qualifying Final disappointment in sensational fashion, coming from 33-points down at three quarter time to beat the Lions with the last kick of the day.

It put a full stop on a run of three losses in succession – starting with defeat to the Bulldogs in Round 20, a loss away away to Casey in Round 21 and, finally, defeat at home to Southport in week one of the finals – and showcased Box Hill at their very best.

Having kicked nine goals for the afternoon, the Hawks booted nine more in an incredible final quarter to win through to Saturday’s showdown with Footscray.

Henry Hustwaite was sensational, winning 37 disposals and 11 clearances; Trent Bianco turned in one of his best performances for the year with 23 touches and eight marks; match-winner Bodie Ryan kicked two goals from 20 disposals and seven marks; Cam Mackenzie won 31 touches and 10 clearances; while Mitch Lewis kicked four goals in a dominant display ahead of the ball. 

The Dogs come into the match as the in-form side in the competition. They boast a 12-match winning streak and claimed the minor premiership thanks to wins over Box Hill and, finally, a 115-point mauling of Carlton in the final round.

Saturday’s hosts haven’t conceded more than 60-points in a game since the 19th of July – a 114-88 point win over Brisbane – and kept Frankston to a measly 3.7 in their Qualifying Final win a fortnight ago.

Adam Treloar captured the headlines against the Dolphins, amassing 35 disposals, 11 clearances and eight tackles; while Zac Walker kicked four, Arthur Jones booted three and Anthony Scott chimed in with two of his own. 

Selection News

Zane Littlejohn and his match committee have made two changes to the team which sensationally came from 33-points down at three quarter time to see off the Lions last weekend, re-gaining the services of veteran goal-kicker Luke Breust and skipper Cal Porter.

Out of the team come the elevated Mitch Lewis and the omitted Blake Simondson – who is desperately unlucky to be squeezed out of the line-up on balance.

Bailey Macdonald will play his 50th VFL game, too, having made his state league debut for the Box Hill Hawks in round one, 2023.

The Hawks will boast six changes to the 23 which came up 19-points short the last time they met the Bulldogs, with Breust & Porter joined by Sam Frost, Cody Anderson, Sam Durdin and Kye Declase among the names who missed the round 20 defeat to Footscray but will feature on Saturday.

One(s) To Watch

It’s got to be the ins this week, doesn’t it…

Luke Breust, set to retire at season’s end after 550 AFL goals and three premierships (so far…) is joined in the squad by the returning Club Captain, talisman and CEO (Chief Energy Officer) Cal Porter – back for the first time since the round 12 win over Coburg in mid-June.

Both bring a wealth of experience, energy and big game bonafides to a Hawks team looking to win at Whitten Oval for the first time since round one, 2017.

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 at 3WBC 94.1FM

Where To Watch

Fans unable to get to Whitten Oval will be able to keep an eye on all the action as it unfolds on 7Mate from 2pm.

Additionally, a live stream will be available via both the 7plus app and the VFL match centre on the AFL website and app.