Review Round 1, 2017: Footscray Bulldogs v Box Hill Hawks, 14 April 2017, 12.00pm @ VU Whitten Oval

[Dixie Flatline]

Box Hill kicks off its 2017 season and Chris Newman's coaching career with a trip west to play the Bulldogs on their home heap. In fact, it will be the battle of the new coaches, with Steve Grace coaching the Bulldogs for the first time in a meaningful game, having been named as coach in the off-season. Grace replaces Ashley Hansen, who coached the Bulldogs to a VFL premiership, while Newman replaces Marco Bello as Box Hill coach.

The Hawks will unveil a number of new players, with Vince Adduci (Oakleigh Chargers), Harrison Burt (Sandy Dragons), Tristan Davies (Eastern Ranges), Billy Evans (Brisbane Lions), Jake Godwin (Eastern Ranges), Will Hams (Essendon AFL), Jordan Haynes (Eastern Ranges), Thomas Jacotine (Eastern Ranges), Michael Knoll (basketball), Nelson Lane (Eastern Ranges), Thomas Maloney (Sandy Dragons), Andrew Moore (Richmond AFL), Sam Parsons (Oakleigh Chargers) and Lachlan Walker (Oakleigh Chargers) all signed to Box Hill, together with a number of new Hawthorn-listed players.

The Hawks lost Sam Iles, Marc Lock, Tom Gordon, Pat Lawlor and Jake Summers from the club in the off-season, so the Hawks will no doubt look to the likes of Andrew Moore (60 games for Port Adelaide and Richmond), Will Hams (13 games for the Bombers) and Billy Evans (seven games for the Lions) to pick up the slack.

David Mirra will again captain the club this season, fresh from winning Box Hill's best and fairest in 2016. Last season was somewhat disappointing for the club, having finished just 10th with a 7-11 win-loss record and failing to play finals for the first time in several seasons.

It'll be a tough first up game for the Hawks, playing the reigning premiers on their home patch, but it will create an opportunity for those willing to seize it.

Please note that the date of the game is not a misprint - it will be played on Good Friday.

In the meantime, the development league squad kicks off its premiership defence with a trip to Trevor Barker Oval on 15 April 2017 to play the Zebras' reserves from 11am.

3WBC 94.1FM will cover the Hawks for their 10th year, with expert commentary from Paul Hooper, Dougal Austin, Lachie Dix, Nigel Foyster and Phil Edwards. The coverage generally starts an hour before the game, so expect to hear the boys from 11am on Good Friday. You can stream the coverage from 3wbc.org.au or by using the TuneIn app on your smart device.

Additionally, Box Hill Hawks will give regular score updates via its twitter feed at www.twitter.com/boxhillhawks.

Teams to come in due course.

 

[Agent Smith]

Wow. Looking through all the changes it'll be like watching a whole new team out there. And I thought I wouldn't know what to expect this year from the AFL team...

 

[savagelunchbox]

Wow. Looking through all the changes it'll be like watching a whole new team out there. And I thought I wouldn't know what to expect this year from the AFL team...

Most of the new faces will play development squad, and that many new faces isn't unusual.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Yeah, I would say that Hams, Moore and Evans are the most likely VFL-listed players to get a gig for Box Hill, and that's primarily because they're needed to cover for the departed Lock and Iles. I expect that a lot of the Hawthorn-listed players (to the extent they're not required to play for Hawthorn) will play for Box Hill, so I think we'll be seeing a fair amount of the likes of Schoenmakers, O'Brien, Whitecross, etc., this season.

Additionally, a lot of the players signed from Eastern Ranges are 17-18 year old kids who weren't drafted, so they're pretty green. They're more likely to help the development squad defend its premiership than to get a gig for Box Hill, at least early in the season.

 

[stemline]

And don't forget there's another practice match this Saturday 8th April at Coburg.

 

[Roger Rogerson]

And don't forget there's another practice match this Saturday 8th April at Coburg.

Time?

 

[stemline]

1:30pm. Dev at 10:30am.

 

[WWSD]

Are the two Conor's going to play in this weeks VFL game on Friday or will they play in the reserves?

 

[Buttonsticher]

If your a hawks member does it cost to get into game?

 

[savagelunchbox]

If your a hawks member does it cost to get into game?

Yes.

Home games; no.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Round 1, halfway through April.

So odd.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Away games are 5 bucks for members

 

[Irish Hawk]

I

Are the two Conor's going to play in this weeks VFL game on Friday or will they play in the reserves?

was speaking to Conor Glass on Sunday.He was hoping to be available for Fridays game.He missed out last weekend with a calf injury.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Dev squad playing at Sandy, Saturday 11am

 

[BlueWaterHawk]

Round 1, halfway through April.

So odd.

Seems like the AFL season will be done before our reserves get a propper run.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

 

[Dixie Flatline]

To be fair to AFL Victoria, there are 14 VFL teams and 18 AFL teams, with 10 of the VFL teams aligned to Victorian AFL teams. If AFL Victoria synchronises the start of the season with the start of the AFL season, then either the season finishes in August (no good for any Victorian team playing finals - we saw how Hawthorn benefited from Box Hill playing finals in 2013-2014 especially), the VFL home & away season is extended for several weeks or the home & away season starts later in the year.

I'm not a fan of the split round concept where round 1 started last week with one game being played. But I can sympathise with their predicament in starting and ending the season. It would just be nicer if Box Hill games could be scheduled to more closely align with Hawthorn's games so that we're not left with a situation where, like this weekend, anyone dropped from the Hawthorn game last weekend probably won't play tomorrow because of the five day turnaround.

 

[WWSD]

Round 1 VFL vs Footscray Bulldogs

New: Morrison, Nash, Cousins, Lewis, Glass, Henderson

Box Hill Team

B: James Sicily, David Mirra, Blake Hardwick

HB: Harry Morrison, Conor Nash, Teia Miles

C: Billy Hartung, Kade Stewart, Dallas Willsmore

HF: Daniel Howe, Ryan Schoenmakers, Will Langford

F: Tim O'Brien, Jack Fitzpatrick, Ricky Henderson

R: Marc Pittonet, Jonathan O'Rourke, James Cousins

INT: Nick Evans, Luke Surman, Ayden Kennedy, Conor Class, Max Warren, Jordan Fisher, Sam Switkowski, Liam Cox, Mitchell Lewis, Chris Jones, Adam Brolic, Will Hams, Vincent Adduci

 

[savagelunchbox]

No HFC players listed in the Development Squad.

http://boxhillhawks.com.au/round-1-2017-teams/

 

[Gralin]

Stewart starting on ball, I like it

 

[moginie]

Stewart starting on ball, I like it

So do I. And Cousins in the middle too.

 

[WWSD]

Box Hill this year have better coverage up forward and down back. Schoenmakers and Fitzpatrick who both missed a lot of VFL games last year with injury, and now the new additions of Mitch Lewis and Nash gives Box Hill more key positions players in the team and a better overall structure. Surman can play forward, back and in the ruck which will be handy throughout the year.

 

[caseman2]

I see no Moore or O'Donnell playing either grade so I assuming both are injured?

Injuries were the story of Moore's AFL career at both Port and Richmond - not a great way to start the season as he is going to be heavily relied upon for that big bodied midfielder who brings the grunt.

 

[Bumpswithagrin]

Can't make it to this match but will be following it with interest... GO HAWKS!!!

 

[savagelunchbox]

So the first clearance goes to Footscray and they kick long and get a mark deep in their forward line.

Where have I heard this before?

 

[Bumpswithagrin]

Goal to Evans for the Hawks

BH 1.0.6
Foots 0.1.1

Edit: Radio guys have corrected themselves, first goal was by Brolic not Evans.

Edit again: BH Twitter says it was Switkowski, I give up