The Box Hill Hawks recorded a third win in succession to start the 2025 campaign on Sunday, defeating old foe Geelong by 46-points at GMHBA Stadium.

The victory catapulted the Hawks into third-place on the nascent VFL ladder and leaves the brown and gold hot on the heels of the second-placed Giants and table-topping Southport.

The result, a 10th consecutive win against the Cats at VFL level, is Box Hill’s biggest win of the season to date and precisely the response Senior Coach Zane Littlejohn would’ve been after following back-to-back nail biters in rounds one and two and back-to-back byes in the two weeks which followed.

The Hawks trailed by 21-points at the first change, having started well before slowly ceding both the momentum and initiative to their hosts as the quarter progressed. Max Ramsden booted the Hawks’ only two goals of a tricky term but it turned out the Cats had kicked with the aid of a stiff breeze and their lead was, perhaps, just shy of par.

Following words of encouragement from the coaching group and with the benefit of a renewed focus and improved work rate, Box Hill set about mounting a spirited and ultimately match-winning comeback in the early stages of the second term.

The raw but exciting Matt Hill pounced on and finished two opportunities inside the opening two minutes of the quarter, before Ramsden kicked his third of the contest a further two minutes after that.

The Hawks’ brains trust would’ve hoped their charges could make headway with the wind at their backs and bridge the gap, but there’s every chance they hadn’t made it back to the coaches’ box by the time the 21-point gap was whittled down to just three.

The Cats managed to nab the next six-pointer, but debutant Blake Simondson was johnny on the spot to get it back a short time later to keep his side in touch.

Geelong big-man Nathan Krueger joined Ramsden on three majors for the half as the second quarter neared time on, only for Sam Butler, who was making his long-awaited return from a broken leg, to nail successive goals to hand his side the lead.

By the time Jack Ginnivan wriggled free of a would-be tackler near to goal and dished off to the waiting Cody Anderson, the Hawks had won the quarter 7.2 to 2.1 and lead by 10-points going into the long break.

Anderson and Ginnivan were back in the thick of things when play got back underway, hitting the scoreboard to extend Box Hill’s lead to 23-points after seven minutes.

Geelong found a much-needed reply off the boot of Patrick Retschko to keep tabs on the Hawks, only to see Box Hill put the pedal to the metal and turn an 18-point lead into a 36-point lead in the blink of an eye.

Ethan Stanley and Ned Reeves kicked their first goals of the day in double quick time to leave Geelong on the brink, before Sam Butler added a third to really make things difficult for the hosts.

Jay Polkinghorne’s second of the contest late on gave the Cats an interest in mounting a comeback, but it was Butler again who shut the door. The classy small forward timed his lead into space perfectly, marked running back to goal and steered through a fourth on the day to take the sides to the three-quarter-time break 36-points apart.

Having been in a similar position against Carlton in round one, Littlejohn and his skipper, Cal Porter, stressed the importance of playing positively and seeing out the contest on the attack.

In the end the Hawks would win the last quarter 3.6 to 2.2, with Jack Ginnivan kicking all three of his side’s goals for the term as the team in brown and gold kept their opponents under wraps and under control.

On a day of high-paced, end-to-end footy, Box Hill would lose the inside 50 count by two, the tackle count by four and take 16 fewer marks, but in a match ultimately decided by efficiency the Hawks turned the ruck dominance of Ned Reeves into 11 more scoring shots and a vital four points.

Henry Hustwaite’s exceptional start to the 2025 season continued, with the developing Hawthorn on-baller finishing the contest as the highest rated player on the ground. His 35 disposals, 21 contested possessions and 12 clearances all ranked no.1, while his seven score involvements and eight tackles placed him no.2 among all players on the day. 

Another to impress was the dashing Bailey MacDonald. The half-back’s run and dare was instrumental throughout the contest and his stat line of 24 disposals, three inside 50s, three rebound 50s, five marks and five score involvements showcased a balanced performance and impact all over the ground.

Jack Ginnivan’s first showing for Box Hill was a positive one, with the 2023 AFL premiership player’s 22 touches comprised of the scoreboard impact of 4.2 and six overall score involvements; and application inside the contest in the form of three tackles and three clearances. A strong contributor all afternoon, Ginnivan’s overall work rate was rewarded with three final quarter goals.

Seamus Mitchell produced another fine performance at the VFL level to figure among his team’s best players, recording 23 touches, hauling in eight marks, laying four tackles and contributing four score involvements. Composed when he and the team needed to be, aggressive when the situation called for it, ‘Shammy’ was a vital cog in an excellent team performance.

Box Hill’s youngster Lane Ward’s stock continues to rise, too, with the Gippsland youngster turning in yet another strong showing on the wing. Like MacDonald and Mitchell, his 21 touches displayed an ability to do a little bit of everything. He finished the day with two inside 50s and two rebound 50s, four marks, three tackles and three score involvements.

Lastly among the Hawks best was first-year defender Noah Mraz. Working alongside more established and experienced teammates in Sam Durdin and Jai Serong, Mraz was superb. Part of a back six which was at times under pressure, his 16 touches, eight marks and willingness to compete was a standout element of a strong team performance.

Other notable performances included Ned Reeves, whose 50 hitouts, five clearances and one goal gave his teammates a leg-up all day; Sam Butler, who kicked four goals from fourteen touches; and Cal Porter, whose 18 disposals and four clearances was supported by a game-high 11 tackles.

The Hawks are next in action this coming Sunday, where we’ll host Port Melbourne in a VFL-VFLW double header in Wonthaggi.

Best: Hustwaite, MacDonald, Ginnivan, Mitchell, Ward, Mraz

Goals: Ginnivan, Butler 4, Ramsden 3, Hill, Anderson 2, Stanley, Simondson, Reeves

Disposals: Hustwaite 35, MacDonald 24, Mitchell 23, Ginnivan 22, Ward 21, Bianco 20, Porter 18, Declase 18