SECURING a home final in the last round of the season, Box Hill Hawks will host Williamstown with both teams to enjoy a double chance.
Box Hill Hawks enjoyed its best season, in terms of ladder position during the home and away season, since the 2001 season.
And, VFL Hawks fans don’t need any prompting to tell you that was the year that the ‘super coach’ Donald McDonald led the club to its first and only VFA/VFL First Division premiership.
Its reward for finishing second on the ladder is a home final, but that’s where the glad tidings stop.
Box Hill Hawks face Williamstown, a club which has caused it more angst than other club, in a Qualifying Final.
The Seagulls own a 66 percent winning record against Box Hill in its lifetime clashes and more recently defeated the VFL Hawks at their home ground.
Williamstown emerged from its Round 12 match against Box Hill Hawks with a 25-point victory. Significantly, it was Box Hill Hawks biggest defeat for the season and sparked a three game losing streak.
And, that was after Williamstown didn’t trouble the score board attendant in the last quarter.
It was a match where Western Bulldog Dylan Addison headlined Williamstown’s goal kicking with four goals. The good news for the VFL Hawks is that Addison won’t be playing in the Qualifying Final.
And, it’s unlikely that Western Bulldogs veteran Daniel Cross, who along with Seagulls captain Ben Jolley, cut apart Box Hill Hawks through the midfield, will be playing.
Williamstown’s team that day also included Jarrad Grant, Liam Picken, Matt Austin, Tom Campbell, Tom Young and Jason Tutt.
All that group was missing from Williamstown’s team that defeated Northern Blues in the last home and away season game.
Given that Western Bulldogs come off a loss in Brisbane, it will be interesting to see how coach Brendan McCartney attacks what is largely another meaningless match at the selection table.
Both clubs come into the Qualifying Final in a rich vein of form.
Box Hill Hawks has won its past five games; Williamstown four of its past five with Geelong the only club to interrupt that winning streak.
The VFL Hawks clung to a two-point win against Casey Scorpions last week in a low scoring affair. That’s the VFL Hawks modus operandum – they’re not a high scoring team, but they suffocate their rivals.
Nine times they’ve kicked between 10-15 goals and they believe in sharing the goals than relying on one person to kick them.
Significantly, Box Hill Hawks has kept its opposition to 10 scores of 10 goals or under. And, in its past four games the highest goal tally any club has against it is nine goals.
Williamstown are similar. Western Bulldogs Liam Jones has been a focal point since he’s been dropped with nine goals in his two games for the Seagulls.
It’s problematically whether that return will, in fact, see him return to the AFL. If he stays with Williamstown he looms as a problem for Box Hill.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 31
2nd Qualifying Final - Box Hill City Oval, 2pm
Box Hill Hawks vs Williamstown
Last Modified on 29/08/2013 13:50