Playing in above thirty-degree heat in their first competitive hit out of the season, Box Hill fell to Williamstown at Whitten Oval on Friday afternoon.

Box Hill were playing catch up for the majority of the match and weren’t able to rein in last year’s preliminary finalists after Williamstown outscored the Hawks eight goals to one in the first half.

You could have mistaken the first 10 minutes for a regular season game as both sides attacked the ball without fear, throwing their bodies at the football to force early stoppages and contested possessions.

This pressure assisted Box Hill’s half back line who were solid in the early part, cutting off Williamstown’s pressured forays forward and then launching counterattacks.

Hawthorn rookie listed player, Jonathon Ceglar was prominent in the first quarter working tirelessly to provide a contest in the forward half.

Box Hill’s coach Damian Carroll was impressed with Hawthorn-listed players Mitch Hallahan, Jordan Kelly and Luke Lowden, who he mentioned as players who won their position on the day.

“I thought the younger Hawthorn guys who had their first hit out would get a lot from that,” Carroll said.

 “The experience will be good for them, their first senior game.”

The stronger bodies and experience of the Williamstown side became more prominent in the second quarter as they opened an insurmountable lead.

“They’re a good side, Williamstown, and they’ve got some experienced boys and that probably showed in the strength department. [It was] a good hit out for our guys and obviously you probably learn more when you lose and we got beaten pretty badly tonight,” Carroll said.

Despite the loss, the game wasn’t without its highlights from a Box Hill perspective.

VFL player Corey Cassidy kicked a couple of goals, one of which was the culmination of fluent and concise ball movement starting from the back half and Pat Lawlor was able to weave his way through traffic and kick a beautiful goal in congestion.

Perhaps the biggest highlight came in the last quarter from David Mirra – as he bravely went back with the flight of the ball to take a mark when the result was already beyond doubt.

Carroll identified poor ball use and an inability to consistently defend as symptoms of tired legs and bodies generally synonymous with any team’s first game of the year.

“We lost by 18 goals here last year and then beat them in the home and away,” he said.

“Obviously a lot of time between now and the start of the year and we’ve just got to continue to get ready.”

Box Hill will look to improve on their form in game one when they take on the Northern Blues at Visy Park on Friday in their second practice match.
 

Final score
Box Hill 4.9.33 def by Williamstown 14.12.96.