Review Round 2, 2026: Geelong v Box Hill Hawks, 27 March 2026, 7.05pm @ GMBHA Stadium

[TheFourPillars]

I think Dear will be fine. The effort/chase was there, it was just nothing was going right for him.

Just needs to find that touch. I think his confidence will skyrocket if he can get on the end of a 4-5 goal game to light that fire.

Yep needs continuity and a lick of the ice cream as they say needs a bag for a boost. Its just time

 

[ImCheatingToWin]

Absolutely no worries with Dear. The VFL is a dump and he hates playing there. Exponentially better in the AFL.

Still needs to put in performances to get promoted. Sulking, IF that's the case isn't getting him back in the seniors anytime aoon

 

[Alite]

While this was not a fun game to watch, I did not come away feeling like the sky was falling ... without knowing why. Until I looked at the team stats:
Stat.....H..-..G
D:.....321 - 388
K:.....217 - 215
H:.....104 - 173
I50:....52 - 52
T.........46 - 49

These numbers aren't terrible.

Given the age, size and experience of the Cats centre line, it was not surprising we got belted out of the middle. And playing the Cats at their home ground did not help.

But what stood out to me was the lack of cohesion between our players. Forwards spoiling each other in marking contests. Backmen not giving the handball to a player running by. Players not staying with their man when defending allowing for the cats to create an overlap. Players not holding their structure.
Overall, Box Hill looked like a team of inexperienced players that don't yet know how to play together. The reason: because they are a team of inexperienced players that don't yet know how to play together.

There are a stack of learnings that Mirra can get out of this game both for the coaches and the players. Let's hope they go to school on it.

 

[The Jet From Poowong]

JUH is a mile off the level. Would think a guy with his height and athleticism would be more competitive in the ruck but he got dominated.

I queried this last year when he barely got a look in at VFL level. He is still coming from a mile back, but at the very least will have every opportunity to show whether the experiment continues after this year.

Ramsden is the one who must step up. No more second fiddle, bit part roles.

 

[Kuuz]

People just looking at the stats and saying our forwards like Dear and McCabe played bad, should watch the 2nd or 3rd quarters.

We got absolutely creamed out of the middle. On the rare occasions where we won it out of the middle, the delivery into our 50 was bad. On rebound, we always seemed to deliver to an even or outnumber contest.

The forwards as a whole struggled in a large part due to the midfield just being outclassed and their midfield unit had much, much better pressure. We looked so out of it, the end scoreline doesn’t do justice to how much we were belted for most of the game.

I’m not really reading much into McCabes or Dears game, because we barely gave them much more than scraps to feed on.

 

[SSSSSS]

I queried this last year when he barely got a look in at VFL level. He is still coming from a mile back, but at the very least will have every opportunity to show whether the experiment continues after this year.

Ramsden is the one who must step up. No more second fiddle, bit part roles.

Ramma will make it as an AFL player IMO (not sure if it's with us), as a forward but he's definitely not a starting ruckman.

 

[Roger Rogerson]

What do you take from the game…

Bodie still has lapses. He’s developing ok but there is a recurring gap that a worry.

Calsher was a frustration why doesn’t Mirra get him in the game. I’m jury out on Mirra so far as a coach.

Ramma ain’t a ruck.

Lots of talk on the mids and if you read it it’s like they had a direct contest with the cats. Reality is the ball was gone from the contest before they even had a chance. So a bloke like Dalton who was parked at half forward for a long time and got limited head to head mid time shouldn’t be judged as being badly beaten.

Maggines what the hell is he being told to do as a player? He just dump kicks or 360s in a tackle it’s plain awful. What the hell are we trying to do with him or is he just done? It’s bloody awful he’s got some great strengths that we just don’t seem to be trying to unlock.

Harry was busy.

Nairn looks a real prospect.

Same as Hill.

Cody going ok I reckon he’s def getting better each year.

Schu a fair way off but a good prospect.

McCabe needs a bag of cement.

Bailey going ok he’s got something.

 

[Franko Armani]

Why is this so hard to believe??? Players aren't robots, some players form drops playing at the the lower leagues and they lose interest ie Frost last year, and some rise to the occasion and turn it on when in the AFL like Calsher.
In an ideal world where everythings perfect all AFL listed players get dropped back and apply 100 percent of what they've got to VFL level (Finn McGuinness) but this simply isn't the case for all players. Some players get pissed/ lose hope when they get dropped back to the maggos and this is simply how it is.

I agree with you. Look at Finn, seems to play well in the VFL , horrible at AFL level. You can kill some players by making them spend too much time in the VFL. I reckon Calsher is one of them.

 

[Franko Armani]

Grim reading re Calsher.

It’s not like he could be worse now than when he debuted and played well at AFL level. If we let him rot at VFL level, he might just.

 

[Ka Norkers]

if he can't get a touch at VFL level, he certainly can't get a touch in the AFL, the bizarre theories he plays better at AFL level are just that, bizarre theories.
he's a great player when in form, he'll get back to that, nothing surer. If he spends the next six weeks regaining touch at Box Hill, that's fine. Lewis was excellent last Thursday, played his role beautifully (I reckon Sam sends him to Stewart), Chol too has been excellent, and Gunston is second in the Coleman. We are not desperate for forwards at the moment, averaging well over 100 points a game. An out-of-form Dear is adding zero to our team, and you'd probably have to drop Reeves to squeeze him in.

All the calls to play this player and play that player seem to ignore the obvious, who are they to displace?

 

[Brownbird]

To me he looks to have lost some athleticism which was his best trait.

i believe he has not yet regained confidence in his back and associated movement capabilities - (based on bits & pieces I have observed and heard)

 

[Brownbird]

Bit of perspective.

Finn, Morrison, Ramma, Perez, Bianco, BMac, Brown and Dear combined for 301 games.

Bowes, Worpel, White, Stevens, Stanley, Knevitt, Kolo, Bews and Close combined for 1060 games.

Four of those players were the prime movers in the guts (Bowes/Worpel/Stanley/Stevens) which is where we got absolutely spanked. Just too big and too strong for our green midfield.

I went to the Casey BHH praccy match and what i noticed and heard there would indicate that he is still unsure of and lacking confidence in his back - after the stress fracture of early last season (as I recall ?). It is obviously not preventing his playing so hopefully as he continues to he will regain confidence in his body.

 

[Atch]

I agree with you. Look at Finn, seems to play well in the VFL , horrible at AFL level. You can kill some players by making them spend too much time in the VFL. I reckon Calsher is one of them.

Someone said a few weeks ago because Finn has elite endurance hes got a cheat code when he goes back to VFL. That's why he'll dominate and get big numbers every week he's there. He just doesn't have good disposal though. He can tag well and run out games well but that's about it. Obviously the injury last year didn't help he's cause.

 

[Guardian Hawk]

It sounds like we don't have the depth we like to think we have. I also think pressure/effort is contextual. The guys may have been trying their arses off, but against AFL-level mids with multiple (up to 10+ preseasons) they were always going to struggle.

Hopefully a good learning experience for a lot of the team.

Depth was our strength in 2025.

We had a strong bottom 6 and plenty of AFL ready bodies able to come in and do a reasonable job.

We had Reeves as a capable back up ruck, Frost and Blanck as capable back up key defenders, Jiath and Serong as capable 3rd tall/rebounders, Breust as a capable small forward, Finn as a tagger, McKenzie, Butler and Hustwaite as developing mids, Lewis and Dear competing for 1 spot, etc. This is on top of a very strong and even bottom 6 (i.e. players 16-23, who were the equal really of players 10-16).

In the off season, Breust and Frost retired, Worpel went to Geelong, Jiath went to Melbourne and Serong went to Sydney. Not exactly, but that's essentially positions 23-28 out the door. Those players have all been replaced by new draftees. Also, the sub rule was removed and a 23rd spot was added, so Reeves is in the AFL.

We still have a pretty decent bottom 6 but we don't have the same (mature) depth we enjoyed last year. I think we all agree this is probably better for us in the long run (to have more young talent that could be top 15 at the club, rather then depth players) but we needn't keep talking about us having amazing AFL ready depth anymore, as it's no longer the case.

 

[The Jet From Poowong]

Depth was our strength in 2025.

We had a strong bottom 6 and plenty of AFL ready bodies able to come in and do a reasonable job.

We had Reeves as a capable back up ruck, Frost and Blanck as capable back up key defenders, Jiath and Serong as capable 3rd tall/rebounders, Breust as a capable small forward, Finn as a tagger, McKenzie, Butler and Hustwaite as developing mids, Lewis and Dear competing for 1 spot, etc. This is on top of a very strong and even bottom 6 (i.e. players 16-23, who were the equal really of players 10-16).

In the off season, Breust and Frost retired, Worpel went to Geelong, Jiath went to Melbourne and Serong went to Sydney. Not exactly, but that's essentially positions 23-28 out the door. Those players have all been replaced by new draftees. Also, the sub rule was removed and a 23rd spot was added, so Reeves is in the AFL.

We still have a pretty decent bottom 6 but we don't have the same (mature) depth we enjoyed last year. I think we all agree this is probably better for us in the long run (to have more young talent that could be top 15 at the club, rather then depth players) but we needn't keep talking about us having amazing AFL ready depth anymore, as it's no longer the case.

Very accurate. Hopefully short term pain for longer term elation.

 

[tommyk72]

Depth was our strength in 2025.

We had a strong bottom 6 and plenty of AFL ready bodies able to come in and do a reasonable job.

We had Reeves as a capable back up ruck, Frost and Blanck as capable back up key defenders, Jiath and Serong as capable 3rd tall/rebounders, Breust as a capable small forward, Finn as a tagger, McKenzie, Butler and Hustwaite as developing mids, Lewis and Dear competing for 1 spot, etc. This is on top of a very strong and even bottom 6 (i.e. players 16-23, who were the equal really of players 10-16).

In the off season, Breust and Frost retired, Worpel went to Geelong, Jiath went to Melbourne and Serong went to Sydney. Not exactly, but that's essentially positions 23-28 out the door. Those players have all been replaced by new draftees. Also, the sub rule was removed and a 23rd spot was added, so Reeves is in the AFL.

We still have a pretty decent bottom 6 but we don't have the same (mature) depth we enjoyed last year. I think we all agree this is probably better for us in the long run (to have more young talent that could be top 15 at the club, rather then depth players) but we needn't keep talking about us having amazing AFL ready depth anymore, as it's no longer the case.

Agree with all that. I will say our midfield deapth was never really that strong. And it was weakened. Fingers crossed we can still excel with the team we have whilst building that depth this year.

 

[Coach Killer]

I enjoyed the game and thought there were excellent signs from many.

One in particular was the last qtr 55 meter bullet from the back pocket under pressure off one step by LeRay. That was special.

I was watching him closely throughout - he is going to be a big unit and has all the tools. Just needs a couple of strong pre seasons and continuity.

Nairn & Schubert combined for 4 goals and could have had a few more and also set up a few from limited opportunities - for kids in their 2nd or 3rd games that’s great.

Ollie had some very good moments with both ball in hand and also laid afew great tackles that went unrewarded.

Bmac always tries hard - his disposal and decision making let him down on occasions.

McCabe - thought we missed an opportunity to play him in defence with Mraz out and when the Geelong forward kicked 4 first qtr goals - he was quiet but his form has been great over the previous 3 weeks.

Ramma just needs to keep working and for a position to open up - he can play multiple roles.

Dear although quiet just needs to bag 3 or 4 in a game and he’ll put his name back in the frame - this could happen this week.

Ryan played a little too loose in the 1st qtr and got caught out afew times - he tightened up after that and was quite good.

I actually enjoy watching box hill just to see how the kids are performing - not really fussed about the result.