Tight Game for the ANZAC Cup
It was a tight game at Piranha Park on Saturday, but Box Hill Hawks managed to get their third win in a row, defeating the Coburg Lions to take home the ANZAC Cup.
The game got off to a tough start with Tom Gordon and Max Warren the only goal kickers for the first quarter, in response to the four that Coburg had kicked
By quarter time, Box Hill trailed by 15 points, but with a goal from Kade Stewart early in the second, the Hawks soon got the ball rolling in their favour.
With excellent displays of quick hands and applying forward pressure, Box Hill managed to limit the opportunities Coburg had at impacting the scoreboard. By the end of the second quarter, Coburg had managed only one goal to the Hawks’ six.
Coburg came back out after half time with renewed effort and despite Box Hill’s heavy tackling pressure, they managed to take the lead yet again.
With the Hawks trailing by 10 points at three quarter time, they needed to dig deep in the last quarter if they were going to come out on top.
In the nail biting last quarter it seemed as though Coburg had an answer for every goal put on the board. With the lead changing constantly, the Hawks banded together and made their mark.
An assist from Brendon Whitecross enabled Jonathan O’Rourke to put the Hawks within two points of the lead. This was followed by an excellent display of forward pressure by Jermaine Miller-Lewis, who forced a turn over within Box Hill’s forward 50 with Stewart finishing it off with a goal.
When the final siren sounded Box Hill, had recorded an eight-point win.
Daniel Howe collected 29 disposals in the win, but said there was room for improvement.
‘It wasn’t the best performance for us,” he said.
“I was happy to get a few touches and that we managed to grind it out to get the four points, but there are definitely things that we need to take out of this game and learn from.”
The seniors will take on the Frankston Dolphins in their second home game of the season next week, and will be hoping to make it four wins from four matches to start 2016.
Box Hill v Coburg
Box Hill 2.2 8.3 9.6 13.8 (86)
Coburg 4.5 5.8 10.10 11.12 (78)
Goals Fitzpatrick 2, Miles 2, Stewart 2, Lock, Iles, Traynor, Gordon, Howe, O’Rourke, Willsmore
Best Iles 29, Howe 29, Willsmore 27, Mirra 24, Lock 24
Photo credit: Jenny Owens Photography
