The Box Hill Hawks recorded one of the Club’s all-time great finals victories on Saturday afternoon, storming from 33-points down at the final change to claim a remarkable semi-final win over Brisbane.
The visiting Lions lead by two and four points, respectively, at the quarter and half-time breaks, but made their move in a dominant third period. Brisbane attacked relentlessly and kept the Hawks scoreless to open up a near six goal lead, placing one foot and four toes into a Preliminary Final date with the Dogs.
A comeback wasn’t beyond the boys in brown and gold, but Box Hill had given themselves little-to-no margin for error were they to keep their 2025 season alive. Simply, the Hawks would have to be close to perfect to pull off the greatest of escapes.
What followed was equal parts exhilarating and unforgettable, as Box Hill methodically chased down the Lions to hit the front, kick a goal to consolidate that lead, give up back-to-back majors to surrender that hard fought advantage and, finally, snatch it back with the final kick of the contest.
Incredibly, most of that occurred in time on of a frantic final term.
All told the Hawks finished +38 in total disposals, +5 for inside 50s and +4 in marks; while the Lions won the tackle count by four and shaded clearance wins by three. Basically, a game decided by a kick on the final siren was decided by the barest of margins. Go figure…
As was the case when the sides met early in the season, Brisbane won the toss and elected to kick with the aid of a two-three goal breeze to the scoreboard end.
The visitors had the better of the term but a return of 3.7 from a slew of inside 50s didn’t reflect the quality of opportunities they’d created. As is often the case, the home side were slightly more comfortable and therefore efficient when it came to dealing with the tricky conditions and kicked 3.3 for the quarter.
Max Ramsden, Jasper Scaife and Mitch Lewis were the Hawks’ goal-kickers to this point, while for the Lions it was Will McLachlan, Fergus McFadyen and ex-Hawthorn listed forward Brandon Ryan who found their mark.
Four points down and with the wind at their backs, Box Hill returned to the field in search of quick goals – and thats exactly what they found.
Kye Declase won a free kick and converted the resulting set shot, Ramsden booted a second and Bodie Ryan arrowed through a superb right footer from out wide to hand the Hawks a game-high 15-point lead after 10 minutes.
Jack Manly spoiled Box Hill’s best spell of the afternoon to date with an answering goal for the Lions, before Lewis kicked a second to wrestle back some momentum to keep the hosts on top in the contest and on the scoreboard.
But it didn’t last long.
McLachlan kicked his second of the day, before Conor McKenna nabbed back-to-back goals in a four minute burst which handed the Lions a narrow lead.
Sam Marshall bobbed up to kick his first of the day four minutes later on and, all of a sudden, Brisbane’s lead was nine-points.
At risk of ceding whatever advantage the wind should’ve afforded them, Box Hill kicked goals via Jake Arundell and Declase deep into time on to sensationally take the lead again, only for Henry Smith to reply at the 34 minute mark to ensure the Lions had the lead at the half.
The teams had evenly split 12 goals in an highly entertaining second quarter, but the Hawks had done enough to edge to within two-points at the main break.
With the wind picking up and a quarter kicking into it ahead of them, Box Hill had hoped to keep things tight and stay in touch so to set up as small a ‘run chase’ as possible. It’s not how things played out.
Henry Smith kicked goals two and three, Darcy Craven booted one of his own and Oscar McInerney added a major to his impressive stat-line to separate the sides by 33-points with one to play.
At the three quarter time huddle Box Hill Senior Coach Zane Littlejohn preached calm. He knew opportunities would come and his charges need only be good enough to take them.
Ethan Stanley handed the Hawks the perfect start with a running goal after just 28 seconds, and when Bailey Macdonald kicked his first goal since the round 12 win over Coburg the margin was just 20-points with four minutes played.
By the time Matt Hill kicked his first and Lewis added a third the Hawks were just seven points in arrears with nine minutes gone.
Curtis McCarthy found the Lions a steadier, only for Cody Anderson to convert a relayed free kick as the match ticked towards time on – but the margin was still eight-points as the clock hit 20, 21, 22, 23 and then 24 minutes.
Having done so much of the heavy lifting so early, time was suddenly a factor for Box Hill.
Lewis’ fourth drew the Hawks to within a kick, ensuring, as always, that the most important goal was the next one.
Ned Reeves found himself cast in the unlikely role of small forward, reading the ball off-hands and snapping the go-ahead goal at the top of the goal square. Seriously, it was a textbook front-and-square to give the Hawks a lead.
A minute later the big ruckman found himself leading back to goal and in a position to mark just inside the behind post. As he has a habit of doing, he made the resulting shot look easy and, sensationally, Box Hill’s lead was nine with 29 gone.
But it wasn’t a match-winning lead, there was too much time left on the clock for that to be the case.
Having given up a 33-point advantage the Lions had just minutes to overturn a two-kick deficit – which they did via Smith’s fourth and Ryan’s second. Maybe, just maybe, they’d snatched victory back from the jaws of defeat.
But there was one final twist in the tale. With the ball back in the middle and little over 45 seconds left on the clock Seamus Mitchell fired a handball to Henry Hustwaite, who steadied off two steps and fired a left footed drop punt deep inside attacking 50.
Reading the ball best in flight and leaping to pluck it from the sky was Bodie Ryan. With the siren set to sound this would be the final kick of the day – and it would decide the contest.
The Hawks’ no.26 steadied, made sweet contact and celebrated immediately as his second of the day sent the Hawks to the Preliminary Final.
Hustwaite was declared the Hawks’ best player on the day, recording game-highs in ranking points (116), disposals (37), contested possessions (23), clearances (11) and inside 50s (10). A nailed-on selection in the VFL’s Team of the Year, ‘Huss’ handled the heat of the contest better than just about everyone on the field.
Fellow midfielder Cam Mackenzie was just as influential, winning 31 touches, 10 clearances and seven inside 50s – a hat-trick of stats second only to Hustwaite among all players on the ground.
Bailey Macdonald provided his trademark dash and dare out of half-back, linking defence with attack all afternoon on the back of 21 touches, six rebound 50s, three inside 50s, four tackles, three score involvements and, vitally, a goal.
The match-winner, Bodie Ryan, was also in the Hawks’ best players. Playing primarily across half-back, ‘Bodes’ swung forward, winning 21 disposals, two inside 50s, five rebound 50s, seven marks and kicking two hugely important goals.
Trent Bianco put together one of his best games in the brown and gold, showcasing his class and work-rate as he compiled 23 touches, seven inside 50s, eight marks, four tackles and five score involvements.
Last but certainly not least among Box Hill’s named best was Mitch Lewis. The big forward was The Hawks’ standout forward on the day, booting four goals from 11 touches and five marks.
Other notable contributors were Seamus Mitchell (24 touches, seven marks, six score involvements), Jai Serong (22 touches, eight rebound 50s, eight marks) and Kye Declase (17 disposals, five marks, two goals).
The Hawks will take on Footscray at Whitten Oval next Saturday, with match timings to be confirmed on Monday.
Box Hill
3.3
9.5
9.5
18.7 115
Brisbane
3.7
9.7
13.14
16.16 112
Best: Hustwaite, Mackenzie, Macdonald, Ryan, Bianco, Lewis
Goals: Lewis 4, Ryan, Reeves, Ramsden, Declase 2, Stanley, Scaife, Macdonald, Hill, Arundell, Anderson
Disposals: Hustwaite 37, Mackenzie 31, Mitchell 24, Bianco 23, Serong 22, Macdonald, 21, Ryan 20