Four In As Hawks Fly North

The Box Hill Hawks have made four changes to the side which secured a stirring last gasp victory against the Cats a week ago, regaining one AFL-listed Hawk, two VFL-listed goal kickers and, intriguingly, a Hawthorn father-son prospect.

Seamus Mitchell will link-up with his VFL teammates following a late call-up to the senior squad last weekend, while Andreas Stefanakis and Daniel Wood re-join Box Hill’s match day 23 following stints out of the Hawks’ VFL setup.

Dangerous small forward Stefanakis will play his eighth game for the season – his first since the win at Windy Hill in round 10 – while versatile swingman Wood returns for a 12th game for the year having missed out last weekend.

Sandringham Dragons product Ned Maginness, the brother of incumbent Hawks’ no.32 Finn and son of two-time premiership player Scott, will don the brown and gold for the first time. A 194cm midfielder, Ned is currently playing out his top aged year at Sandringham in the Coates League as he pushes his case for the 2024 AFL draft. He will wear the number 82 on Saturday.

Box Hill will be without the services of Chad Wingard and Jasper Scaife, who both miss the trip north to take on the Sharks with injuries, while Josh Ward has seen an excellent run of form rewarded with a recall to Sam Mitchell’s senior side. 

Youngster Seb Amoroso is the unlucky name to make way, but will no doubt feature in the back part of the season having impressed in a string of performances as the Hawks’ 23rd man. 

Stu Horner has been named to play. 

Any changes to Box Hill’s selected side will be communicated prior to Saturday’s first bounce, scheduled for 12:05pm. 

Ins: S. Mitchell, A. Stefanakis, D. Wood, N. Maginness (NEW)

Outs: C. Wingard (inj), J. Ward (AFL), J. Scaife (inj), S. Amoroso 

Squad: 7. N Reeves, 21. C Stephens, 24. D Grainger-Barras, 26. B Ryan, 27. W McCabe, 29. J Serong, 32. F Maginness, 37. Eth. Phillips, 38. M Ramsden, 40. S Mitchell, 41. J Bennetts, 42. B Macdonald, 43. J O’Sullivan, 44. H Hustwaite, 45. C Tucker, 52. B Cavarra, 55. C Porter, 60. Ed Phillips, 62. S Horner, 65. A Stefanakis, 68. D Wood, 82. N Maginness, 99. T Brown

Emergencies: 51. N Philactides, 56. H Bidgood,72. A Mathieson, 73. S Amoroso, 77. B De Bolfo, 78. K Agosta