SENIOR TEAM MATCH REPORT - ROUND 20
Monday, 31 August 2009

By Daniel Dufty

FIVE goals to Jordan Lisle brought the Hawks to a hard-earned 1 point victory at Box Hill City Oval.

Having the opportunity to win the game in the final seconds, Casey Scorpions failed to mark after a deep entry into the fifty which resulted in the Hawks holding up the football and winning in dramatic fashion.

Again down to the wire the Hawks fighting spirit held on after Casey pumped through five unanswered final quarter goals tampering the Hawks holding of 5th position for a short moment.

Mark Williams in his return match after suffering a knee injury against West Coast in Round 13 impressed with 15 disposals and 3.1 starting off in defence then easing his way up-forward throughout the match.

Ed Curnow 32 disposals across the midfield and Co-Captain Lukas Markovic 14 (8 tackles) in defence were the best for the Hawks with Lisle seeing the Hawks to their 12th victory for the season.

Bolton again was pleased with the Hawks efforts.

“We go in (to the finals) with really good form and spirit,”

“We’ve won five on the trot now so we’ve just got to win from here on in.”

Square even with match ups on paper, a lot of hype surrounded the clash with sides placed 5th and 6th in a tussle which possibly could have decided fourth position.

But Northern Bullants closed the door on the four cruising to an 84 point victory against Frankston

All was not lost though with both sides booked for the finals looking for momentum which Box Hill grabbed with both hands.

Taking the lead early the Hawks took a 17 point lead to the first change.

With an extended first quarter due to a heavy hitting mid-air collision with Casey’s Scott Virtue stretchered off stopping the match for a short period after Brendan Whitecross attempted to spoil in the Hawks defensive fifty, the game went up a notch with Casey’s bench down to three. 

Heated early, Casey applied the pressure tackling the Hawks hard with many Hawks grounded early in the piece.

Box Hill lifted the tempo running to an eight point lead at half-time but late errors by the Hawks costed a greater lead.

Three goals in a row to the Scorpions through Glenn Chivers, Alex Silvagni and Ben Waite kept the match in the balance in an enthralling battle.

Box Hill pulled down the shutters on Casey in the third running hard with Ed Curnow one of the Hawks busiest.

Complementing the quarter, Lachlan George set up Jordan Lisle who took a good sliding mark just before the third term siren to goal with the Hawks having the edge by 25 into the final break.

An Iles goal was the only restitution for the Hawks after Casey Scorpions five goal run looked likely to take the game away from Box Hill with such momentum.

But with the Hawks numbers down back, a late attack in the final seconds by Casey could not find a Scorpion mark with the siren sounding in a packed forward fifty.

With jubilant faces the Hawks brought up their fifth victory in a row with the bye in Round 19 helping the Hawks run-out the game all the way after such a hard effort all day.

Ed Curnow’s hardness at the football continues to thrill Box Hill fans with a great all round game and ability to goal up forward as seen with an around the body snap goal in the third term.

Jordan Lisle’s development for the Hawks has moved in leaps and bounds again kicking vital goals for Box Hill looking a bright forward prospect as a Hawks forward.

Apart from Curnow, Markovic, Lisle and Williams, Brendan Whitecross played strongly across half-back with 20 disposals while Travis Tuck (24) and Adem Yze (28) were also good contributors.

Matt Suckling (26) and Hawthorn ruckman Simon Taylor 16 disposals (1 goal) had strong performances with Taylor taking some important defensive marks down back at vital stages in the match.

Box Hill moves into the VFL Finals Series again after a four year wait after last being in the finals in 2005 losing against Port Melbourne in an Elimination Final.

Five wins in a row and another thrilling victory is a good momentum booster for the Hawks who will face Geelong in the First Elimination Final at TEAC Oval on Sunday 6th September at 1.10pm.

Geelong comes into the game after being smashed by Collingwood in a 7th and 8th spot playoff by 38 points at Skilled Stadium without Captain James Podsiadly.

Looking to be a strong match-up, the Hawks will be strengthened with many players from the Hawthorn side returning to the line-up making the Box Hill line-up an even more powerful force.

Box Hill Hawks: 5.1 / 7.5 / 12.10 / 13.12.90    
Casey Scorpions: 2.2 / 6.3 / 9.3 / 14.5.89 

Goals: J. Lisle 5, M. Williams 3, S. Iles, B. Fagan, S. Taylor, E. Curnow, M. Suckling

Best: J. Lisle, M. Williams, L. Markovic, B. Whitecross, E. Curnow, T. Tuck