BOX HILL kicked off their premiership defence with a 13-point Round 1 victory over Williamstown at Burbank Oval on Saturday.
The Hawks showed they will again be among the VFL’s best sides, with new coach Marco Bello declaring the result met his expectations.
“A tough physical contest is what we expected and we got nothing less,” he said after the game.
“Having two down in the last quarter and a half, it probably compounded that and made it a little bit more physical and a little bit harder for us to be able to run out the four quarters.”
In his first game for 2014 after overcoming illness, Jed Anderson got off to the perfect start by kicking the opening two goals of the game before his day finished prematurely due to a shoulder injury.
Box Hill controlled the game in the opening half but two quick goals from Williamstown to start the third term sparked a fightback and much more physical contest.
But the Hawks managed to overcome the Seagulls to record a hard-fought victory thanks to effective ball use up forward to set up chances to score.
Bello said his team’s response to the challenge was promising, as was their effective ball use going forward.
“I think if we do that for the majority of the year, we’ll be in contention again,” he said.
“As long as we stick to it being all about process and not about the talent out there, I think we should be a top four contention again.”
Final score
Box Hill 13.17.95 def. Williamstown 11.16.82
Goals: P. Lawlor 3, J. Anderson 2, J. Sicily 2, Z. Webster, M. Hallahan, A. Woodward, M. Spangher, J. Ceglar, M. O’Donnell.
Hawthorn-listed players
Jordan Kelly
Stats: 7 kicks, 6 handballs, 5 marks
A quiet match from the youngster but managed to have an impact in the second quarter with seven disposals.
Ben Ross
Stats: 12 kicks, 10 handballs, 5 marks
He overcame a quiet start to finish the game with 22 disposals and five marks. He used the ball well by foot through the middle and was a valuable contributor.
Zac Webster
Stats: 6 kicks, 4 handballs, 1 mark
Had 10 disposals for the game and kicked the opening goal of the second term. A promising start to the season.
Jonathon Ceglar
Stats: 12 kicks, 6 handballs, 4 marks
Had 18 disposals but needed more composure in the backline to avoid bombing the ball out of defence. Managed to kick a goal in the third quarter.
Luke Lowden
Stats: 7 kicks, 6 handballs, 4 marks
Had some impact on the game in the second quarter with eight disposals but faded in the second half.
Kurt Heatherly
Stats: 6 kicks, 3 handballs, 4 marks
Attacked the game head on and was involved physically but struggled with his disposal.
Alex Woodward
Stats: 8 kicks, 10 handballs, 3 marks
Attacked the ball well around the ground in the first half especially. His crumbing goal in the second quarter was impressive as he held his composure to finish.
James Sicily
Stats: 8 kicks, 3 handballs, 6 marks
Played a good game. Kicked two goals for the match and was able to perform well under pressure. He took a great one-handed mark at a crucial point in the game, which was impressive.
Mitch Hallahan
Stats: 8 kicks, 7 handballs, 3 marks
Was one of the standout players according to Marco Bello. Had an impact from start to finish and facilitated many of the scoring opportunities with his run up the corridor.
Kaiden Brand
Stats: 12 kicks, 2 handballs, 8 marks
Made his mark on the contest in the second half and was crucial in helping to control the game when the Seagulls were applying pressure.
Derek Wangareen
Stats: 13 kicks, 12 handballs, 7 marks
Wanganeen struggled early but improved his disposal in the second half to contribute well to the victory.
Billy Hartung
Stats: 18 kicks, 4 handballs, 13 marks
Hartung was frequently stuck having to make quick decisions with ball in hand but found his feet as the game wore on. His run was important as he consistently found space.
Matt Spangher
Stats: 8 kicks, 5 handballs, 5 marks
Another standout player for Marco Bello - played the game out with powerful tackles and strong bumps. Spangher influenced the game substantially with his effective ball use.
Jed Anderson
Stats: 11 kicks, 6 handballs, 2 marks
Kicked the first two goals of the game for the Hawks and helped set up further opportunities in the first three quarters. A shoulder injury late in the game ended his day early but played impressively for the majority.
