The Box Hill Hawks survived a tight, tense and altogether vital arm-wrestle with North Melbourne on Saturday, retaining sixth place on the VFL ladder as a result of a hard-fought 16-point win. 

The outcome is even more meritorious given Box Hill lost both Ed Phillips and Josh Bennetts to injury before quarter time. Phillips suffered a nasty rolled ankle, while Bennetts was subject to a painful-looking popped shoulder. 

The result sets up a tantalising showdown at Box Hill City Oval next Sunday afternoon, where the Hawks will host the seventh-placed Williamstown with both sides’ top-four hopes on the line.

The key statistical indicators do as good a job as anything available to illustrate how tight Saturday’s match-up at Arden Street was, with Box Hill finishing the day +4 in total disposals, -6 in inside 50s, -2 in clearances, +5 in marks and -1 in scoring shots.

In a game of fine margins, it was opportunism and execution which ultimately won the day.

Having got through the bulk of the pre-match build-up without so much as a drop of rain, it was entirely predictable that just 10 minutes prior to the first bounce the heavens opened – and the effect this had on proceedings was plain to see.

With the ball hard to win decisively and even more difficult to move cleanly, North Melbourne had the better of the early exchanges and was able to control both territory and then fashion the earliest opportunities. However, despite registering three shots on goal in the opening four minutes the hosts' lead was just three points.

Cooper Stephens added his name to the growing list of players with a minor score, as persistent rain made quality looks at goal hard to come by.

Clay Tucker popped up to break the deadlock after 14 minutes of tough, grinding footy, making what could’ve been a tricky set shot look decidedly straightforward. 

But, as anyone who has ever caught a bus in London will know – when you’re waiting a while for one, two invariably arrive in quick succession. Blake Drury got the Tucker goal back almost immediately before the teams again settled into playing things out between the arcs.

Jack O’Sullivan kicked the first of two goals for the day from just inside 50 in the shadows of quarter time to give his side some breathing room, but, as had happened 10 minutes earlier, North responded almost immediately – this time via Zane Duursma – to send the contest to quarter time all-square at 16-apiece. 

Goals were again hard to come by once play resumed, and the first major of the second term didn’t arrive until Andreas Stefanakis’ instinctive poachers' effort on 12 minutes. It was the sort of goal fans will have come to expect from “Dre,” and he both read and took the opportunity to dribble through his first of the day brilliantly. 

The Hawks were able to keep the Kangaroos at bay for nearly 10 minutes thereafter, but any hope of kicking the back-to-back goals for the first time on the day was scuppered when Harvey split the middle to give North back the lead.

Fortunately, the returning Jake Arundell was on hand to deny the hosts a second goal in succession when he marked his re-debut – if that’s such a thing – with an excellently taken snap in the shadows of half-time to give Box Hill a six-point lead at the long break.

As was now the trend, we were made to wait in excess of 10 minutes for a goal when the second half got underway, but when that all-important opening six-pointer of the second half came it was Box Hill’s Jack O’Sullivan who jagged it, catching Jaidyn Stephenson in a good tackle to win a free kick. It was the first time the lead had reached double digits all afternoon.

Drury’s second drew his side within five points, but Jaylon Thorpe got it back shortly thereafter to reinstate Box Hill’s hard-won two-kick advantage as we hit three-quarter time.

With barely anything between the sides all day the first goal of the final period was crucial. 

And just like Clay Tucker in the first, it was a ruckman who turned unlikely but welcome provider. Ned Reeves won a free kick for a clumsy push out and kicked truly to extend the Hawks’ advantage to a game-high 17 points.

Having worked so hard to assume a potentially match-winning advantage, Box Hill bunkered down to see out what remained of the game, repelling and resisting a period of Kangaroo attacks for the concession of just two behinds.

By the time Max Ramsden snapped goal of the day on 15-minutes the lead was 22-points and the match was, for all intents and purposes, over. 

There was time enough for Drury to kick a third, but the final 10 minutes of the game played out in much the same way as the first 10 minutes had, with the teams trading behinds.

All told Box Hill had allowed their opponent more than one goal in just a single quarter while adapting well enough to the conditions to kick two themselves in every term. And while reductive and obvious to say so, it proved the difference come game’s end.  

Seamus Mitchell was named the Hawks’ best player on the day, providing the brown and gold with equal parts dash, dare, poise and quality ball use out of half back. He finished with a game-high 33 touches and was the highest-rated player on the ground in a superb individual display.

Fellow midfield utility Harry Morrison was his reliable and influential best, winning 25 touches, taking 10 marks, producing a team-high eight inside 50s and tallying three clearances on a day in which he spent time inside the contest, on a wing and helping out across half-back.

Jai Serong’s excellent 2024 shows no signs of slowing down, with the key forward turned key back man putting in another confident and assured performance on the last line of defence. His 26 touches were central in diffusing multiple Kangaroo attacks, while also setting up countless forays forward.

Another defender to impress was youngster Will McCabe. The South Australian was making just his third VFL start – and again sat out the first quarter as he builds his minutes following a back issue in his first season on an AFL list – and was a sensational foil for both Serong and Ethan Phillips in the Hawks’ back six.

Like McCabe, Jack O’Sullivan has enduring a frustrating campaign through injury. The slippery, creative small played five of the first seven matches of the year before missing the next five. Having been managed across the past month as he builds back to full fitness he shone in the trying conditions. “Sul” ended his day’s work with 18 touches and two goals – becoming the only Box Hill player to kick multiple goals – a game-high seven scoring involvements and six inside 50s.

Lastly among the Hawks’ best was Henry Hustwaite, who tallied 24 touches, laid six tackles, won five clearances and had five score involvements in an encouraging display in Box Hill’s engine room.

The Hawks return to action next Sunday afternoon against Williamstown. 

Best: Mitchell, Morrison, Serong, McCabe, O’Sullivan, Hustwaite

Goals: O’Sullivan 2, Tucker, Thorpe, Stefanakis, Reeves, Ramsden, Arundell 

Disposals: MItchell 33, Serong 26, Morrison 25, Hustwaite 24, Porter 20, Stephens 19