The Box Hill Hawks are on the path to the finals after their third win on the trot against the Sandringham Zebras at Trevor Barker Oval on Sunday, 10.14.74 to 10.12.72.

Captain Sam Gibson played his 100th game and showed skill and leadership as one of the best afield.

The game got off to a quick start with Box Hill playing on, running and linking up with handballs at every opportunity. Box Hill were trying to use the wings and take the ball wide to do their attacking whereas the Zebras were bombing long and using the corridor.

Box Hill deserved their 11 point lead at half time as they played better for the early and middle stages of the quarter, but the Zebras worked themselves back into the game late in the quarter.

The second quarter started evenly with neither side able to break away with any momentum.

It took until the middle stags of the second term for Box Hill to kick away from the Zebras. Two consecutive inside 50 entries from ex-Swans rookie Taylor Gilchrist both ended up in goals to Jordan Lisle.

It was a bad sign for the Box Hill boys when Sandringham had kicked the last five goals of the second term to lead by eight points at the main break. Box Hill  seemed to lose all their run and chase that was giving them the edge earlier in the game.

The Hawks needed to come out strong in the second half and prove they were a genuine finals side. It has been one quarter every game that has let the Hawks down and they were determined not to be over run after a good start.

When it mattered in the third term, Box Hill kicked 3.3 to the Zebras 0.2. It wasn’t just the Hawks attacking that was impressive in the third term, it was the way they defended. Every attack that Sandy made, the likes of Boumann, Pollard and Mirra would spoil, gather and hurt them on the counter-attack.

Although Box Hill lost the final term, 3.3 to 1.4, they did enough to hold on for their captain Sam Gibson and to secure a spot in the finals at the same time.

The Box Hill Hawks come up against the second placed Williamstown Seagulls at Box Hill City Oval next Saturday afternoon.

BH: 3.3/6.5/9.8/10.14.74
SZ: 1.4/7.7/7.9/10.12.72

Best: Cheney, Boumann, Jackson, Gibson, Gilchrist, Schneider, Neil 
Goals: J. Lisle 4, B. Fagan , B. Neil , S. Grimley , S. Gibson , R. Jackson , T. Gilchrist