We take a closer look at the Peter Jackson VFL Legendairy Grand Final match-up between the Box Hill Hawks and Williamstown at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Box Hill Hawks vs Williamstown
Sunday September 27, 3pm, Etihad Stadium
THE HISTORY:
The Hawks are competing in their third consecutive senior Grand Final. In 2013, they became premiers for the first time since 2001 with a 21-point triumph over Geelong, but lost the 2014 decider to Footscray by 22 points.
The Seagulls are chasing their first senior flag since 2003 when they knocked off Box Hill. It’s been a difficult task for Williamstown to reach the big dance recently, having lost seven of their last eight preliminary finals before last week. The one time the Gulls did make it to the Grand Final during that stretch was in 2011 when they lost to an undefeated Port Melbourne juggernaut by 56 points, but this is the club’s first Grand Final since becoming a standalone club once again in 2014.
Overall, Box Hill has won two VFA/VFL Grand Finals and lost three since the club joined the competition in 1951, while Williamstown has won 15 premierships and been runners-up 11 times since its inception in 1884.
THIS YEAR’S ENCOUNTERS:
Round 10, Burbank Oval
Box Hill Hawks 19.8 (122) d Williamstown 8.12 (60)
The Seagulls simply couldn’t control Box Hill’s forward firepower in Round 10. On the back of a midfield fed by Ben McEvoy (13 disposals, 31 hitouts), the likes of James Sicily (five goals), Sam Grimley (five) and Tim O’Brien (three) ran riot inside 50. The Hawks were able to establish the game plan that has brought them so much success at every level, racking up 56 more kicks and 79 more marks than Williamstown to completely dominate the tempo of the game. Jonathan Simpkin (31 disposals), Alex Woodward (29) and Brendan Whitecross (24) were the main midfield destroyers.
Round 20, Box Hill City Oval
Williamstown 11.16 (82) d Box Hill Hawks 10.8 (68)
The Seagulls fought back from a 10-point deficit at half time to record a confidence-boosting victory in the final home-and-away round. Unlike in Round 10, Williamstown controlled possession with Nick Meese (14 disposals, 39 hitouts) enjoying Ben McEvoy’s absence to feed a rampant Mitch Banner (43 disposals, one goal) and Ben Jolley (30 disposals, seven clearances). Sam Dunell was dynamic inside 50 with 16 disposals, eight marks and 4.4, while Box Hill’s best player on the day, Mitch O’Donnell (23 disposals, seven tackles), unfortunately had his season ended by an ACL injury.
WHERE THE HAWKS CAN WIN IT:
The league’s no.1-ranked team for effective kicks and uncontested marks will aim to control proceedings as they did in the Round 10 clash with Williamstown. Even if they give up the ball at the contests against a strong midfield, the Hawks will back their full-ground defensive system to limit the effectiveness of opposition forward line entries and hurt the Seagulls with precision passing on the rebound. With Tom Gordon and Kurt Heatherley holding down key defensive posts, Matt Spangher and David Mirra have been able to roll off and intercept mark regularly this finals series.
Once the turnover has occurred, Box Hill has no shortage of midfield runners capable of spreading into space to gain uncontested possessions. Williamstown will need to find close-checking match-ups for the likes of 2013 Norm Goss Medallist Jonathan Simpkin, Brendan Whitecross and Jonathan O’Rourke to ensure they earn their touches.
The final link in the deadly Hawks chain is the forward line – on any given day, Sam Grimley, Tim O’Brien or James Sicily can be match-winners in front of goal, while smaller option Patrick Lawlor has also proved dangerous recently. Box Hill will now have available the likes of Spangher, Jonathon Ceglar & Will Langford – after Hawthorn defeated Fremantle in the AFL on Friday night.
WHERE THE SEAGULLS CAN WIN IT:
Williamstown was ranked no.1 during the home-and-away season for contested possessions and clearances, and it’s at the coalface where the Seagulls can win the flag. Against a possibly inexperienced ruck division – Marc Pittonet and Sam Collins shouldered the load for Box Hill against Sandringham last week – Nick Meese might have a significant advantage. The VFL Team of the Year ruckman was superb against Essendon’s Shaun McKernan in the preliminary final, recording 18 disposals and 31 hitouts, while sidekick Sean Tighe bobbed up with 13 hitouts and two important goals.
Their ability to provide silver service to midfielders such as Ben Jolley – inspirational last week with 29 hard-won disposals – Adam Marcon and Mitch Banner might be the key to denying the Hawks the time in possession they love. Quality forward 50 entries will allow Williamstown’s small forwards room to work their magic, with Andrew Gallucci (178cm), Cameron Lockwood (175cm) and Anthony Anastasio (169cm) all capable of causing problems for Box Hill’s medium-sized defenders with their pace and nous around goal.
The other area the Seagulls can win it is in defence – if they can’t stop a flow of inside-50s from further up the field, taller defenders Peter Faulks, David Fahey and Tim Currie – brilliant against the Bombers last week – will need to win or at least halve battles against the likes of Grimley, O’Brien and Sicily.
* CLICK HERE to watch the VFL Grand Final press conference with the coaches and captains of both competing teams
* CLICK HERE for entry prices and prematch entertainment details
Last Modified on 25/09/2015 23:36
