Box Hill went five from five on Saturday afternoon when it defeated North Melbourne by 50 points at Fenjiu Stadium (Box Hill City Oval).
VFLW Senior Coach Michael Ericson was delighted to see the side continue to progress well this season.
“It was a really good game from the players,” Ericson said.
“We worked through a lot of the things that we’ve been trying to implement and we’re glad to get the result.
“We just battled all day… and we connected really well as a group, which was our focus going into the game.”
Eight AFLW-listed Hawks featured on the day while plenty of VFLW-listed stars shone bright.
Ericson reviewed each AFLW-listed player and gave a few shout-outs to some VFLW-listed players below.
Charlotte Baskaran (25 disposals, six clearances, four marks, four tackles)
“She bounced back after what was a bit of a quiet week for her the week before. On the ground, she worked all day and on the inside, she was at stoppage after stoppage. She just kept running to receive the ball, which was fantastic.”
Bridie Hipwell (Two goals, 18 disposals, four marks, four inside 50s)
“Bridie was fantastic. I thought it was the best game she’s played all year. She was really smart with how she moved for the football and what she did with the football. She’s put in the work for quite a few weeks so it’s nice to see her getting rewarded.”
Hayley McLaughlin (One goal, 16 disposals, four clearances, three tackles)
“She was really hunting the footy for us in the forward line on the weekend which was evident by her clearances around forward 50 stoppages and her fantastic goal. Her pressure on the ball and work rate as a small forward has been fantastic.”
Emily Everist (One goal, 15 disposals, seven marks, six tackles, four inside 50s)
“She played a bit of a different role for us on the wing. She linked up really well between defenders and forwards. We know her running ability is fantastic and she was able to utilise that ability to get the ball inside 50. She was a real asset for us on the weekend.”
Mikayla Williamson (14 disposals, four tackles, two clearances)
“Mikayla went well. She probably had a few ‘could have been’ moments but she got to the right place consistently and her running patterns were fantastic. As soon as she builds confidence, you’ll see how damaging she can be out on the field.”
Laura Stone (13 disposals, three tackles, two marks)
“Stoney was really good. She had multiple rebound 50s playing off half-back this week. We probably saw more run and drive from Stoney which was really pleasing to see. She’s really trying to use the skills that she’s got and that’s what we saw on the weekend.”
Sophie Locke (One goal, 10 disposals, three inside 50s, two marks, two tackles)
“Sophie was really good in her first game back. It looked like she hadn’t missed a beat. She was flying for everything and getting forward of the ball inside 50. She missed a couple of opportunities on goal but she was really great with her leadership, forward pressure and forward craft. She’s only going to get better the more games she plays.”
Ainslie Kemp (Eight disposals, four marks)
“She’s been really solid and consistent in that defensive role. She seems to be that player that has all the time in the world and it’s been really pleasing to see what Kempy can do down back.”
…and some shout-outs for some VFLW-listed stars
Tamara Luke (Three goals, 14 disposals, seven hit-outs, four marks)
“Our skipper, what more can you say?! She was ferocious at every contest and was fantastic. She led the group tirelessly all game.”
Rosie Dillon (One goal, 20 disposals, seven tackles, six clearances, four inside 50s)
“She played more midfield minutes this week and was phenomenal. She just continued to get first use of the footy inside the contest and her work rate was really pleasing.
Paula Pavic (20 hit-outs, eight disposals)
“I have to give a shout-out to one of our first gamers. Paula tried tirelessly in the ruck all day and just competed, which is all we wanted her to do. She gave us so much energy around the middle of the ground which was really pleasing.”
Caitlin Thorne (14 disposals, five tackles, three inside 50s)
“Thorney’s work through the wings and her ability to get the ball long inside 50 consistently was awesome.”
Box Hill faces one of its toughest opponents of the season on Sunday, with the Sydney Swans making the trip to Fenjiu Stadium at 3.35pm.
Ericson was excited about the contest ahead.
“It’s going to be a real challenge,” he said.
“They’re obviously in great form and playing a lot of AFLW players so it’s going to be a great opportunity for our players to go up against a talented squad.
“We’re going to approach it like all other games and attempt to implement what we’ve been trying to work on and try to nullify some of the things they’re good at as well.”
The Hawks take the field after Box Hill’s VFL side on Sunday in what is shaping up to be a big double-header.
