Box Hill Senior Coach Chris Newman is just one win away from securing a grand final berth in his maiden season at the helm.
Newman took the reins from Marco Bello at the of the 2016 season, following a year coaching Box Hill’s development side.
The former Tiger guided his men to six wins from six games in the early stages of the season, laying the groundwork for an impressive campaign that saw the Hawks finish second on the ladder.
Sunday’s test stepped things up a notch; a qualifying final against a side that had got the better of them just two weeks earlier.
Despite the pressure, Newman’s men stood tall to emerge 13-point victors, in a spirited effort that earned praise from their head coach.
“When you play a quality opposition like Port Melbourne you know it’s going to be a really tight affair,” said Newman.
“So we knew we had to dig deep, and I’m really proud of the boys with the way they pulled it together and managed to kick a couple of goals late."
Read: Match report - Box Hill v Port Melbourne
Hawthorn-listed midfielder Jonathan O’Rourke was pivotal in his side’s win, finishing with a team-high 32 disposals, while Teia Miles was also solid with two important goals.
However, Newman chose not to focus on individual statistics – rather, how the players stood up when it mattered.
“We spoke at the end of the game about moments,” said Newman.
"Some guys might not have had the best game of their career, but they stood up in moments when it counted.
“That’s what we expect out of the playing group, and I’m really happy with how we were galvanised when challenged by a quality opposition.”
As the Hawks await this week’s results to see who they’ll face off with in a preliminary final, the former Richmond captain says the team will stick to its regular routine.
“We won’t change too much in how we prepare for the game.
“Initially it’s about freshening up, both the mind and the body.
“We need to make sure we’re diligent with our recovery, and we need to still review the game and pick the things that we did and didn’t do well, and maybe do a bit of ‘oppo’ analysis next week by watching the Richmond (vs) Casey game to see who we’ll be playing.”
“Hopefully the boys stay fresh and look after themselves, and then mentally prepare for another big battle.”
