Hawks defender David Mirra says it was the pain of Box Hill’s 2014 and 2015 VFL grand final defeats that spurred him to a best-on-ground performance in Sunday’s VFL premiership.
Mirra capped a sensational 2018 season on Sunday as he claimed the Norm Goss medal for best afield in Box Hill’s 10-point, come-from-behind win over Casey, taking a game-high eight marks and picking up 18 disposals down back.
The Hawks suffered back-to-back heartbreak after winning the 2013 flag, going down to Footscray by 22-points in the 2014 decider before being dealt a 54-point thumping at the hands of Williamstown the following year, with the losses proving to be match-winning inspiration for Mirra this time around.
“Before the game ‘Newy’ (coach Chris Newman) asked us to write something that was meaningful to us and why we play the game and for mine it was losing 2014, losing 2015 and losing a preliminary final last year by about 60 points that was driving me today to really perform well and make sure that we came home with a win,” Mirra said post-match.
The 27-year-old also reflected on a whirlwind year in which he broke through to the senior side for seven AFL appearances – including the Hawks’ semifinal clash – performing admirably, averaging close to 17 disposals and six marks a game after being taken as a mature-age recruit by the club in November’s rookie draft.
“To be drafted in the first place was surreal,” Mirra said.
“To play my first game, to play an AFL final, to now win a flag at the end of the year with the Box Hill boys, who I’ve played majority of the year with, it’s a special feeling, particularly when I’ve been with the club for the last nine seasons, so it’s really special.”
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Fresh after being anointed a dual VFL premiership player, Mirra was also confident the club could achieve greater success at both AFL and VFL level in 2019, particularly after a spectacular VFL finals series in which the Hawks came from sixth position to win the flag.
“It’s such a young group, it’s a unique group and their hunger and fight throughout the whole finals series has been unbelievable.”
“The Hawthorn-Box Hill alignment right now is as strong as it’s ever been, the club’s in a really good spot at the minute and we’ll be doing everything we can – I know we just won a flag but I’m already thinking of next year – to try and get the AFL side into a grand final as well and that’s what we’ll be aiming for next year.”
