Hawks Hit The Road For Round 4

The Box Hill Hawks return to VFL action following three weeks without a match for points on Sunday, traveling down the highway to take on the in form Cats at GMHBA Stadium. 

Zane Littlejohn and his match committee have made six changes to the outfit which came from behind to account for North Melbourne on the 29th of March, with a new look 23 charged with defeating the old enemy and getting the brown and gold to three-and-zero on the season.

Into the squad comes a pair of injured senior-listed Hawks, a smooth-moving half-back and three Club debutants.

James Blanck has been named to play his first game since the back end of 2023, having missed the entirety of 2024 on account of a ruptured ACL. He’s joined by classy small forward Sam Butler, who was also ruled out for the bulk of 2024 after suffering a horrible leg break in Box Hill’s round 5 win over Sydney.

The pair got through last weekend’s practice match against Essendon at The Hangar and will used Sunday’s clash against the Cats as the first significant stepping stone towards senior returns.

Off-season recruit Sam Durdin has overcome a pre-season niggle to make his debut for Box Hill, while livewire small forward Jack Ginnivan will don the brown and gold of Box Hill for the first time alongside the key back.

Elsewhere it’s a VFL debut for versatile midfielder Blake Simondson, who has seen a wonderful pre-season and strong start to 2025 rewarded a place in tomorrow’s 23-man squad.

Out of the squad go the experienced Sam Frost, who will link-up with the AFL side for Easter Monday’s meeting with the Cats, as well as the injured Corey Preston and Jasper Scaife. The developing trio of Seb Amoroso, Andreas Stefanakis and Jack Sammartino fall out on balance. 

Any changes to the selected 23 will be communicated prior to Sunday’s first bounce.

Additions: S. Mitchell, S. Durdin (NEW), J. Ginnivan (NEW), B. Simondson (NEW), J. Blanck, S. Butler

Omissions: S. Frost (AFL), C. Preston (inj), J. Scaife (inj), S. Amoroso, J. Sammartino, A Stefanakis

Squad: 7. N Reeves, 21. N Mraz, 26. B Ryan, 27. W McCabe, 29. J Serong, 30. S Butler, 32. C Anderson, 33. J Ginnivan, 36. J Blanck, 38. M Ramsden, 40. S Mitchell. 41. M Hill, 42. B Macdonald, 44. H Hustwaite, 50. S Durdin, 53. K Declase, 54. L Ward, 55. C Porter, 58. T Bianco, 62. S Horner, 65. E Stanley, 70. J Arundell, 74. B Simondson

Emergencies: 43. J Uhr-Henry, 59. A Stefanakis, 60. J Latchford, 61. M Donohue, 67. J Sammartino, 68. D Wood, 71. S Amoroso