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Review Round 2, 2025: Box Hill Hawks v North Melbourne, 29 March 2025, 2.05pm @ Box Hill City Oval

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Reeves and Hustwaite killed them in the last to get over the line.

The ill discipline of 2 x 50m penalties certainly helped.

Did not play our best but lifted in last to bank the 4 points.
 
FT. BH 14.8 92 to 12.11 83.

Was looking dubious after we only kicked a single goal in 15 minutes. But a lack of discipline from North and some fantastic individual efforts saw us hit the lead strongly. Shout out to Stanley and Bianco (who the commentators confused for Seamus) for great games.

Hustwaite: Clearly BOG. 38 touches (25 contested), 12 clearances and 6 tackles. Was reliable with his disposal given his role. Can’t do anything more.

Reeves: close second. His ruck dominance was a significant advantage but his work around the ground was great. Kicked two goals and took 3 strong contested marks, two very important late.

Serong: best of the defenders. Accumulates the ball, has good defensive craft and gets involved in rebound. Would love to see him higher up the ground.

Scafie: always looks good when leading but was beaten badly by Dawson/Whitlock for three quarters. His last quarter efforts were outstanding though, kicking two key goals and taking strong marks. 3 goals on a day you’re beaten is pretty good.

Ramsden: see Reeves but without the ruck dominance. Kicked two goals but struggled with the Dawson/Whitlock/Tomlinson combination.

Ryan / Anderson: some nice highlights in otherwise average games.

Frost: started well with three intercepts then didn’t do much. His direct opponent kicking three goals in the third was disappointing. Moved forward in the last.

Mraz: plays with a heap of courage. Was a victim of umpires being very active on holding calls. Good signs but a lot to work on.

Hill: Still learning the game and low production but I like what I see. Pace to burn and likes to tackle. Moved him forward in the last quarter and should have won two free kicks.

McCabe: looks lost up forward. When he gets involved he looks classy but only 7 touches.

BMac: Only the 6 touches and can’t remember seeing him in the second half.
 

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Definition of a scrappy VFL win. Thought we looked tired and lack of intensity even early in the first quarter. Lacking polish and ball movement, and structure despite having some AFL listed players didn't look like has gelled playing with each other yet. Not quite sure how we got over the line, but the wind was stronger than it looked, so probably a reason our first and third quarters looked so poor. Did well to fight it out on a down game and to finish off.

Scaife - Has 'something' that looks AFL standard, and has parts that look more like VFL level. Straight line lead to get space, long accurate kick, bit of pace off the mark = nice. When he has to scrap for position 1 on 1 standing still, and the ball ends up in a gettable position he isn't snatching those chances or sometimes could compete stronger. If can work on that part, he'd have something to offer while Lewis is out. Might be about belief, as most key forwards need a teaspoon of figjam confidence and that 'knowing' they can win the ball, and also a bit of white line fever.

Hustwaite - Dominant game. Some real improvement with the way he impacts stoppages, and completely broke open play a few times, and was part of our best ball movement. Though sometimes he does stand still and just handballs to others when he is better position and puts them in worse position. Once inside our 50 and he could made space and snapped for goal, but he handpassed it on immediately, and our player got tackled straight away. Would say he just needs to keep working and working on being more impactful when he gets it and building on his best moments. That is thinking how he gets into the AFL team, but still was BOG today.

Reeves - Looks a very handy back up ruck option to have. Took some important marks, and goals, and won a lot of taps. The difference between him and Meeky is, Reeves a few times got it in his hands from the ruck and didn't know what to do, and sort of lost the advantage, where Meek charges forward and bashes packs like a midfielder. But if he can stay fit and keep in form at Box Hill it will be a real positive.

Ramsden - I'm a fan, but didn't see much today. Wasn't a day for forwards with the slippery, slow, windy conditions and our ball movement and structure wasn't great. But didn't have much of a presence as a forward or get in the game very much. Saw a nice mark behind the ball, and he kept running, but would like to see him impact himself into contests in this type of game.
 
Great having Stanley back great game. Picked up where he left for Box Hill.
Hope Hawthorn are keeping a close eye on him again.
Hustwaite was huge in the last. Wish he would try move the ball quick and look forward rather than first option sideways or back. He is a good kick and needs to turn it into a weapon.
 

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Been an underwhelming start from Box Hill expected them to be very good but maybe it’s time needed to gel a lot of new faces. Getting the wins is enough for now. Reeves Hustwaite Serong Ramsden and Scaife looking good nice to have some depth especially with the players injured as well
Our midfield is thin at box hill given we have most of the players playing AFL but we are going to have some unlucky players in the coming weeks
 
This could be our side next match:
B: Frost Blanck Mraz
HB: Ryan Serong Mitchell
C: Morrison Husthwaite B. Macdonald
HF: McCabe Arundell Guinivan (or Finn)
F: Ramsden Scaife Bruest
R: Reeves Porter Bianco
INT Declase Stanley Anderson Hill
 
This could be our side next match:
B: Frost Blanck Mraz
HB: Ryan Serong Mitchell
C: Morrison Husthwaite B. Macdonald
HF: McCabe Arundell Guinivan (or Finn)
F: Ramsden Scaife Bruest
R: Reeves Porter Bianco
INT Declase Stanley Anderson Hill
Blanck is that far advanced?!
 

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Yep. Injury report says 2 - 3. Could even play a half in the scratch match v Bombers during Gather Round.

Had forgotten we don’t have VFL during gather round. That makes more sense. Great to have him returning.

I do wonder what the potential inclusion of he and Frost will mean for Serong.
 
Agree that Reeves had a big last quarter but that should be his level week in week out over 4 quarters - apart from his tap work I still feel he was very ordinary for the first 3.
Maybe it has just got to the stage where due to year of frustration with him I automatically mark him down!

On a side note - young Whitlock looks as if he really is going to be a player for North.
 
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Review Round 2, 2025: Box Hill Hawks v North Melbourne, 29 March 2025, 2.05pm @ Box Hill City Oval

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