Review 2015 Grand Final: Box Hill Hawks v Williamstown Seagulls, 27 September 2015, 3.00pm @ Etihad Stadium

[Kuuz]

I expect that Whitecross and Grimley have played their final games for Hawthorn/Box Hill today. Grimley is almost certain to be departing and Whitecross has not recovered from his ACL injuries to the extent that the club would want.

To be honest, I also have question marks over where Willsmore fits in the future of the Hawks. Litherland is the 2015 Kyle Cheney - good enough to play AFL but not the type that Hawthorn wants. Howe shows talent in glimpses. Miles is a great little player but he needs something special to make it in the AFL with his physical limitations. Langford battles hard but is poor when disposing of it. O'Brien has stagnated.

Box Hill has done very well to make it to the grand final but their gameplan is found out a bit on Etihad Stadium. Went in too tall but ironically none of the tall forwards Box Hill used today can take a pack mark.

I still think Lithers has a role to play in the first team. He's looked decent coming in, just needs experience at top level. His 2nd and 3rd efforts are awesome. Unlike Cheney, we don't really want him as a key back. He looked pretty good in the pocket, and will likely slot in where Burgers is when Burg retires. Him or Howe.

Agree about the rest though.

 

[LuvMyHawks]

I would like to see Andy Collins coaching the BHH. He was a great little player with us..Pretty smart little fella

 

[LuvMyHawks]

I hope we don't play like the BHH next Saturday..

 

[Bumpswithagrin]

What a pathetic and insipid performance from Box Hill today, there worst game of the year get to the big dance and don't show up, where was Sicily, TOB , and Grimley and questions should be asked of Marco Bello.

If we win the AFL GF next week I don't think any questions will be asked of anyone and Bello will get a promotion to a position with Hawthorn.

/conspiracy theory

 

[Baz_hawk]

Embarrassing display really. You'd think if you were going to throw everything at one game in the year it'd be the grand final.

Willy deserved winners, came to play. Wish the same could be said about our boys

 

[Bumpswithagrin]

How devo do the players look?

They looked pretty disappointed to me. I really feel for the Box Hill guys in this situation.

 

[lickmerocks]

The Hawthorn listed players played like millionaires today. The efforts around the ball in the first qtr of a Grand Final were embarrassing-

Orourke is supposed to be a good kick for goal..... He murdered it today and I am worried about Jono. He is a mile off senior footy at this stage. ( have seen 6 or 7 of his games this year)

Why was Spangher playing. I have seen 70 year olds move better. Spangher needs to trek some mountains for the next 3 months and get his body strong and healthy again.

Langfords disposal... Whatever has happened to Will since last September with his footy has me really confused.

Obrien needs a fire cracker up his backside and shows no urgency at all.

Howe floated around and did completely nothing. He looked lost when the heat was on around the ball.

Whitecross was dreadful. Butchered the pill all day and made poor decisions by hand and foot.

Grimley was greedy today and it cost him.

Tatupu moves like the queen Mary and his second efforts when the ball hits the ground are non existent.

Let's hope our senior guys can come out with a better showing next week.

 

[CD Xbow]

I expect that Whitecross and Grimley have played their final games for Hawthorn/Box Hill today. Grimley is almost certain to be departing and Whitecross has not recovered from his ACL injuries to the extent that the club would want.

Perhaps the lack of spirit reflects some who know they are moving on. Being in the situation of some with contracts and some who know they aren't getting one could be very demoralising for a team.

 

[market]

i realise now that its been a blessing not being able to get the live stream tv feed here in Perth. listened to the game on SEN and the comments here back up it would not have been worth the watching,..Bad luck Box Hill..great effort to make another GF...

 

[Bumpswithagrin]

Perhaps the lack of spirit reflects some who know they are moving on. Being in the situation of some with contracts and some who know they aren't getting one could be very demoralising for a team.

That crossed my mind too. Heard on channel 7 this morning that Whitecross is going to Brisbane (or was it Gold Coast?). Might be a load of rubbish though as it was that Stevo bloke who said it.

 

[heh]

Booger.

 

[savagelunchbox]

It was deja vu to an extent. Apart from the already mentioned fact that the opposition blew BHH away in the third to put it beyond doubt, there were some eerie similarities between 2015 and 2014.

Grimley was shite. If we can somehow pull off a trade and get something for him, we have done very well.

A cooked defender got exposed horribly today. Schoenmakers last year, Spang this year.

Midfield destroyed and unable to stop the turnover fast breaks.

Forward, except for one individual, out played and exposed on the turnover.

 

[dermott]

Congratulations to Willi. They were streets ahead of us today and were deserving winners.
With regard to Box Hill, the less said the better. Reputations are made on Grand Final performances and few of our blokes enhanced theirs today. Some of the young guys will go on to bigger and better things and others just fade away elsewhere.
None did anything to put selection pressure on the guys who beat Freo.

 

[The Cleaner]

Garbage game on a garbage ground that rarely seems to suit BH or Hawthorn. It almost felt like an extension of the last half of our Prelim.

Williamstown had a far greater appetite for the contest all day. Swarmed all over us and never let us get our outside game going. Ran harder into space and duly set up easy goals. Had bigger bodies and older heads in the middle. And in key positions they just knocked us around.

Hard ball getters and knee victims Woody and O'Donnell were sorely missed out there.

Try not to lose sight of some of the quality footy Box Hill delivered this year. But at the same time, a few questions need to be asked about where our next-gen is at.

A clear reminder for the Hawk guys there today about what'll happen next week if they don't bring the fiercest appetite to the contest.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Less said about that game the better. Almost every player had a poor to pathetic outing.

Not sure any analysis of specific players is going to carry much weight considering the output of the team as a whole.

 

[Obi fella]

Garbage game on a garbage ground that rarely seems to suit BH or Hawthorn. It almost felt like an extension of the last half of our Prelim.

Williamstown had a far greater appetite for the contest all day. Swarmed all over us and never let us get our outside game going. Ran harder into space and duly set up easy goals. Had bigger bodies and older heads in the middle. And in key positions they just knocked us around.

Hard ball getters and knee victims Woody and O'Donnell were sorely missed out there.

Try not to lose sight of some of the quality footy Box Hill delivered this year. But at the same time, a few questions need to be asked about where our next-gen is at.

A clear reminder for the Hawk guys there today about what'll happen next week if they don't bring the fiercest appetite to the contest.

Are we good, are we good, are we any bloody good...

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Are we good, are we good, are we any bloody good...

Piss off, dickhead.

 

[Obi fella]

Piss off, dickhead.

Proud of our boys. cheers mate.

 

[halfback dasher]

Gutted
Only high lite was Terry Wheeler who bleeds Blue and gold , crying like a baby with pride , he hugged me and wished the Hawks all the best for next week ....nice !!

 

[Obi fella]

Gutted
Only high lite was Terry Wheeler who bleeds Blue and gold , crying like a baby with pride , he hugged me and wished the Hawks all the best for next week ....nice !!

You guys are the the ultimate opponent. A quality team. I'm a happy man.

 

[halfback dasher]

You guys are the the ultimate opponent. A quality team. I'm a happy man.

Love Meese and spent 5 min post game to congratulate him , rapt for him , tuffest job on the field and smashed Cegs today .

 

[randall boner]

I expect that Whitecross and Grimley have played their final games for Hawthorn/Box Hill today. Grimley is almost certain to be departing and Whitecross has not recovered from his ACL injuries to the extent that the club would want.

To be honest, I also have question marks over where Willsmore fits in the future of the Hawks. Litherland is the 2015 Kyle Cheney - good enough to play AFL but not the type that Hawthorn wants. Howe shows talent in glimpses. Miles is a great little player but he needs something special to make it in the AFL with his physical limitations. Langford battles hard but is poor when disposing of it. O'Brien has stagnated.

Box Hill has done very well to make it to the grand final but their gameplan is found out a bit on Etihad Stadium. Went in too tall but ironically none of the tall forwards Box Hill used today can take a pack mark.

Spot on summation of where were at,and of game

 

[Paul Kersey]

Pathetic.

 

[VandoHawk]

Really sad to see Box Hill's worst performance of the year come during the Grand Final. There were many, many passengers this game whereas Willy had pretty much a team full of contributors. For those not watching, think about what West Coast did to us in the First Qualifying Final and take out the likes of Mitchell and the leaders who kept trying.

Because early in the final quarter Box Hill were only 20 points down, and the reason it blew out was because the players just gave up. Our forward structure completely fell apart. Here are my initial observations of the Hawthorn players without getting too much into statistics.

Angus Litherland: Really poor disposal from Litherland. Seemed to be caught watching the ball a lot, and looked like a deer caught in the headlights when the ball came in high. Didn't use his speed to his advantage, and when he did his kicking usually let him down. Unfortunately, doesn't look AFL standard.

Matt Spangher: Played injured, and it showed. Got work on his hamstrings for more time than he probably spent on the ground. Didn't have good lateral movement, and struggled to account for the faster players in the Williamstown forward line. Did alright when the ball game in high, but his signature marking and courage was not present.

Kurt Heatherly: Probably our most solid defender, although even he was down on form. Had some really good spoils and saved goals and crucial moments, but couldn't mark the ball and was constantly having to deal with two at the contest. Was solid in the one on ones and is a very good reader of the ball, but wasn't quick enough to counter the slingshot. Was also lacking the run and carry off half back that reminded me strongly of Gibson throughout the year.

Dallas Willsmore: Very disappointing. Looked slow and stagnant, and missed some gettable shots at important moments. Allowed the Williamstown runners to just run through without puttimg any pressure on the ball carrier, and on the flip side struggled severely under Williamstown pressure when he got the ball. Disposal was average, and he had next to no impact at any stage of the game.

Teia Miles: The kid has serious speed, and reminds me strongly of a young McGlynn. Isn't afraid to go hard at the ball, and got decapitated a fair few times as a result but wore the hits for the team. Uses the ball well (apart from his miscued shot), and kicked a very classy goal. If he adds some size he could make it as an AFL player, and a very handy one at that. Was another one who tried hard in the second half, compromising half of our forward presence with Anderson.

Jonathan Simpkin: Meh. Was good in the first half, and kicked a good goal but he didn't have a sizeable impact. Found the ball a considerable amount, just like he always does, and his disposal was generally clean but he didn't have the usual impact he has for one main reason: his speed. The Williamstown midfielders were desperate and went in very hard, whereas Simpkin somewhat shirked the contest. His lack of genuine speed was also very evident, as his opponents hurt him very badly on the slingshot. That being said, he would be getting a game at a lower placed AFL side.

Jono O'Rourke: Worried. Seemed slow at the contests, and didn't chase hard enough. Butchered the ball going forward, and if he was playing an outside roll didn't run nearly hard enough. For one of Box Hill's key midfielders, he didn't deliver as expected though he did have numerous chances to. Usually he's an accumulator, but he didn't seem to get a considerable amount of ball and when he did it wasn't clean. Was caught ball watching quite a lot. Put it down to a very bad game, as has been decent all year. Reminds me of Lewis.

Jonathan Ceglar: In some ways, Ceglar could have been considered moderately successful as he did well in the ruck and seemed to win the hit outs. But his hit outs were always (seriously, pretty much always) sharked by Williamtoswn players and not positioned well for the Box Hill players. He fumbled below the knees, and didn't take contested marks or have a forward impact. Honestly, he played like a player who hadn't played in a while: decent, but nothing special and didn't justify the omission of Marc Pittonet. His opponent in Meese tackled much harder and had much more impact.

Daniel Howe: Quiet first half, but was one of probably only three players who tried really hard in the second half. Didn't get a lot of the ball, but was always at the cold face being smashed into the ground trying to win the ball. Did a few really classy things, but generally not enough and did look lost at times.

Will Langford: Far cry from his form last year. Won the ball and tackled hard, but absolutely torched the ball and had some of the worst disposal I've seen in a while. Hasn't learnt from why he was dropped against West Coast, because he was pretty much handing the ball back to the Williamstown players. Missed an absolute gimme that would have swung momentum our way in the second quarter, and won very little of the ball in the second half.

Brendan Whitecross: See Langford, but with more defensive efforts like spoils and less ball winning ability. Wasn't horrible, but yet again his lack of considerable speed was felt as the Willy small forwards had a very big impact. At this stage, he's probably still behind the likes of Howe/O'Rourke/Anderson/Woodward and possibly even Simpkin for a senior spot and should use his rights as a Free Agent to continue his career.

James Sicily: One of many forwards who went missing, but got Box Hill into the game early. Wasn't given any space to move in, and if watched carefully he always had a man following him body to body. Didn't cope with the tag well, but did better than the other tall forwards and kept leaping to try and create scoring opportunities. Nothing really worked.

Jed Anderson: Third player who tried really hard in the second half, and was really our only forward option along with Miles. Kicked two really classy goals, missed the easiest set shot 10 metres out, but by then the result was done and dusted. Honestly, he probably deserved 4 goals for all his efforts. Was constantly being held by the Williamstown player in Charleston but the umpire didn't seem to pick up on it. Won a decent amount of the ball and was a potential highlight real waiting to happen when he went near the ball, and was probably B.O.G. for Box Hill although that's not saying much.

Sam Grimley: He can get lost. Kicked the equal most amount of goals in the VFL only to miss easy shots and completely butcher the harder shots. The only goal he got was from a beautiful pass from Anderson into an open goal, which isn't what you want from your key premier forward. Didn't apply pressure, didn't tackle, didn't go in hard, didn't take marks and didn't kick goals. The most frustrating thing is that he can do all the aforementioned things, but is either too lazy to or simply doesn't have a footballing brain. If Brisbane want him, they can take him because athletic prowess is not all that defines a footballer.

Tim O'Brien: Did nothing, and that's all I can really say. He didn't mark the ball, and he didn't kick goals. He tried to tackle, but his lack of strength was evident and his tackles were broken. Into this stage of his development, I'd be somewhat concerned as when Hawthorn gave him Number 23 they would have done so with big prospects. His development since 2014 seems to have flatlined.

Shem Tatupu: Started well: hit the packs hard and imposed himself physically. Took a great mark, and narrowly missed two goals that he probably should have gotten. And then he completely faded out of the game, and the only time I saw him was when he was on the bench. His second efforts, which was where he had improved the most this year from development to VFL, weren't there and he looked physically tired. Still, he's a project player in development and he should hopefully learn from the experience.

Full credit to Williamstown, because they wanted it hard and never stopped trying. Box Hill were extremely disappointing, yes, but it was Williamstown's pressure, speed and desperation that allowed them to but the mental coffin in our boys and stretch what was only a 5 point lead at half time to a 54 point win at full time.

That being said, many Box Hill players didn't put their hand up for a Grand Finak birth or demanded opportunities next year and apart from Anderson and possibly Heatherly raised some legitment areas for vast improvement (instead of minor) and may have done their chances of selection next year more harm than good.

Highlights how good of a player Woodward is and could be, because his hardness and ability to win the ball was sorely missed. Overall, a disappointing day for the Box Hill side that didn't accurately reflect how well they've been performing all season. But in the end, no matter how well you played all season, it's that last game that makes or breaks your side: and unfortunately for Box Hill, they were broken today.

 

[Hawk Presidente]

Back from the game and it was clear from the start that Willy's more mature bodies were the difference. That's what happens when you bring so many young blokes in against physically mature men. I thought Miles, Howe and Anderson were far from our worst, but when you add O'Rourke, Sicily, Willsmore, O'Brien, Ceglar and Evans and we had too many soft bodies against the hardened Willy line up.

That said, senior players such as Mirra (achilles, shouldn't have played), Spangh (cooked), WhiteX (rubbish) and Grimley (pathetic) really let themselves down.

I thought Langers tried hard, despite being held like hog tied pig at every stoppage - not one free kick in that regard was a disgrace and even worse was the fact that not one of his team mates thought it would be good to give him a chop out. It may be a bygone era, but Dermie would've taken that little scragging turd out in no uncertain fashion.

After that, there was not much to write home about. Bello was outcoached, the players were outworked and we have no one worthy of stepping up to the HFC side should an injury occur based on today's form.

A very disappointing way to end the season.