VFL: Andrew Moore best-afield as Box Hill defeats Sandringham at Trevor Barker Beach Oval

EXPERIENCED pair Andrew Moore and David Mirra showed the way as Box Hill Hawks stay in top-four contention by defeating Sandringham.

IT was the inaugural Doggie Day at the Trevor Barker Beach Oval, and if Box Hill Hawks didn’t quite collar Sandringham, they at least had the Zebras chasing tail all afternoon.

Dogs of all shapes and sizes descended on the ground on Saturday in a promotion the club hopes will become an annual event.

All proceeds went to Pets of the Homeless, a charity supporting pet owners who are experiencing homelessness.

CLASSIC SUBURBAN FOOTBALL GROUNDS

THE HISTORIC JUNIOR CLUB SET TO FOLD

On the field, the visitors had a bit more bite to them, particularly in the first quarter when they kicked with a breeze to the Can Hill end.

Goals from Mitchell Lewis, Marc Pittonet, Dallas Willsmore and Changkuoth Jiath put them out to a 29-point advantage, and the lead would have been greater but for some relatively straightforward misses.

Jiath’s major made it 4.6 to 0.1, Sandy’s only score having come from John Haidon after he was paid a mark he probably didn’t hold long enough.

But from that point the Zebras, out of finals contention, were a match for a Hawks team needing to win top stay in top-four reckoning.

Like a few of the canines ringing the ground, Sandy had a bit of a sniff in the last quarter when Hayden McLean marked strongly and slotted the goal.

Young gun Kai Owens caught the eye for Sandringham with two goals.

That cut the Hawks’ lead to 13 points and the breeze appeared to have picked up.

It was a fleeting hope for Sandy. Box Hill answered with a superb goal from Oliver Hanrahan, seizing the ball as it spilt from a marking contest, taking a few strides and snapping it through. It bore the stamp of a good player. James Cousins steered through a tight set-shot, and then the experienced Andrew Moore made it three consecutive goals and a 31-point break for the Hawks.

In the end the Zebras were left to regret not doing more in the second quarter, when they kicked 2.6 and were astray with two set-shots from close in.

Skipper Moore was best-afield for the Hawks with 33 possessions and nine marks.

The man from whom he took over the captaincy, David Mirra, was outstanding in defence, calm and calculating with his disposals and in organising the back six.

Box Hill coach Chris Newman assessed the game as a “scrappy affair’’ and was pleased with his team’s second half “after a bit of a shaky second term’’.

He said Moore was having a tremendous season.

“His ability to get from contest to contest, his hunt inside, has been really impressive,’’ Newman said.

“In terms of a captain and want you want out there, he’s really leading the way.’’

Sandringham’s first two goals came from 23rd man Kai Owens, one after a free kick in a ruck contest, the other following a strong mark.

The tall forward from Sandringham Dragons had some bright moments in his third appearance in the VFL.

Andrew Moore was outstanding for Box Hill Hawks against Sandringham. Picture: Michael Klein.

“We’re keeping him under wraps a little bit,’’ coach Aaron Hamill said with a laugh after the match.

“He showed a little bit, didn’t he? We (think) he’s got a lot to offer. He’s keen to learn, keen to embrace information, but more importantly he’s wanting to act on it. He’s really good in terms of his contest and follow-up work.’’

Hamill also had good words for onballer Brede Seccull, who according to the Sandy stats had 25 possessions. The 2016 South Adelaide best and fairest has been one of the recruits of the season and is expected to give the best and fairest a shake.

Hamill said Seccull, 24, was “of the highest character, a super worker, a really good leader around the place … we need more of ‘em.’’

Wingman Nathan Freeman had 37 possessions as he continued to push for promotion to the St Kilda team, Jack Noone, Hugh Goddard and Bailey Rice defended stoutly, and McLean battled away in the ruck against Pittonet.

“Yeah, bit of the ball, Nathe … I thought he was serviceable wing and midfield,’’ Hamill said Freeman.

“We turned the ball over a little bit too much and he was involved a little bit in that … but, yeah, again another good game from ‘Freezer’.’’

Hamill said he couldn’t question Sandringham’s endeavour.

“But clearly we turned the ball over way too much between the arcs and gave the ball back on a platter, really. And against good sides, which Box Hill are, they certainly punish you,’’ he said.

“There is lots of room for improvement all over the board in all three phases of the game. We’ve got to get to work. There’s no secret recipe. We’ve just got to be able to execute under pressure for longer.’’

Box Hill Hawks 4.6, 6.8, 7.10, 11.12 (78)

Sandringham 1.1, 3.7, 4.8, 6.11 (47)

Box Hill Hawks goals: M. Lewis 2, B. Kilpatrick, J. Ross, O. Hanrahan, D. Willsmore, K. Lovell, M. Pittonet, A. Moore, J. Cousins, C. Jiath.

Best: A. Moore, M. Pittonet, C. Glass, B. Kilpatrick, D. Mirra, K. Heatherley

Sandringham goals: K. Owens 2, N. Freeman, H. McLean, J. Haidon, K. Nissenbaum.

Best: B. Rice, J. Noone, B. Paton, H. Goddard, B. Seccull, H. McLean