The Hawks overcame a slow start to register a 55-point victory against a Magpies side that had little answers following the opening stanza.
The visitors marked themselves on the contest early as the Hawks hunted their first home win of 2012, with Alan Didak and Cameron Wood running riot in the centre of the ground.
Didak’s silky skills were evident as he gathered 13 touches in the opening quarter, helping the Magpies build a two-goal buffer before Box Hill kicked into gear.
A lift in the centre from former Brisbane ruckman Broc McCauley brought the likes of Danny Hughes and Tom Schneider into the contest.
It was McCauley though, who drew the Hawks within three points at the end of the opening quarter, capitalising on a defensive mistake to snap a late goal.
Box Hill coach Damian Carroll demanded a lift in intensity from his players at quarter time and they responded, slamming home seven goals to one in a lopsided second quarter.
The dominance forced the Magpies to shift into a defensive mindset to stem the flow, but meant the visitors were light on numbers heading into attack.
This allowed Stephen Gilham and Angus Litherland to marshall the Hawks across half-back, repelling a number of attacks, while setting up forward attacks that ultimately finished as goals.
By half time the margin had blown out to 38, with the home side in firm control in front of a healthy crowd.
There was little reprieve for the visitors in the second half, as goals from Marc Lock, skipper Daniel Pratt and impressive debutant Matt Jones extended the margin beyond 10 goals early in the final quarter.
That sparked a mini-revival from Tarkyn Lockyer’s side, with Jamie Elliot booting two majors to add some respectability to the scoreline.
Carroll said he found it difficult to pick just six players as the Hawk’s best, a welcome change from the previous week against Port Melbourne.
“It’s a really pleasing result. There’s no doubt it was tough and we had to work for it, especially early,” Carroll said.
“The main focus after last week was really coming together as a team, which Port Melbourne and those sort of sides that are near the top do.
“I thought we were pretty good in that area and our ball movement was also a lot better.”
Tom Schneider (38 possessions), Matt Jones (28) and Danny Hughes (25) were the major ball winners for the Hawks.
Box Hill will now aim to cement a top-eight position when they take on Coburg next Saturday at Highgate Recreation Reserve.
Hawthorn-listed players
Chance Bateman: The Hawthorn wingman worked his way into the contest in the second term, playing an important role in the clinches. Finished with 24 possessions and a goal.
Tom Murphy: Seems to be enjoying life at City Oval after another strong performance across half back. His ability to instigate play for teammates further afield was a feature on Saturday.
Stephen Gilham: Put his hand up for selection in the Hawthorn side in the next two weeks by being named best on ground by the coaches. Rarely beaten in the air by the dangerous Matt Boland and also won 20 disposals.
Angus Litherland: Gathered 19 disposals, but it was his one percenters that caught the eye. Found himself in two-on-one contests on more than one occasion but found a way to extract the football.
Paul Puopolo: In his first game back, Puopolo showed his willingness to throw his body into every contest.
Taylor Duryea: Very solid across half-back. Won several one-on-one contests at ground level and spent time on dangerous Magpie forwards.
Derick Wanganeen: More serviceable than his usual flashy brilliance, Wanganeen showed an aptitude for winning the hard ball to finish with 17 disposals and a goal.
Luke Lowden: Another solid performance from a ruckman that appears to be enjoying the freedom of spending time up forward. Loomed as a dangerous option in the goal square as well as at centre bounces.
Broc McCauley: Changed the momentum of the game in the first quarter when Cameron Wood threatened to get the Magpies rolling. Also booted 2.2 and put his name in front of the selectors for an immediate senior recall.
Adam Pattison: Was held goalless, but his importance as a key pillar in attack can never be underestimated.
