VFL 2018: Box Hill Hawks, Casey Demons in grand final clash at Etihad
THESE two suburban powerhouses have never met in a grand final, but they will clash this Sunday in the VFL season-decider at Etihad Stadium.
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BOX Hill Hawks coach Chris Newman called them “sliding doors moments’’.
They were two moments that enabled his Hawks’ to dodge elimination and carve their path to this Sunday’s VFL grand final against the Casey Demons at Etihad Stadium.
The first came in the elimination final against Port Melbourne, when Oliver Hanrahan’s kick beat the final siren by a second and sent the match into extra time.
With two five-minute periods tacked on the Hawks finally bested the Borough by 11 points.
“That first game (against Port), we probably had control for the majority of the game, and then when it counted in that second half we lost control,’’ Newman said at the grand final press conference at Etihad Stadium.
“Port Melbourne are really hard to stop when they get momentum, especially on their home ground. The ability of the boys to hang in there and have that belief they could still score … I must admit, I was sceptical. Made my way down to the bench and heard there was 25 seconds left with a stoppage inside our defensive 50. It’s not likely you’re going to get all the way through and score. They just keep finding a way.’’
The following week in the semi-finals Box Hill Hawks defeated Geelong, comfortably.
Last Sunday brought another bite-the-nails finish for the brown and gold, when they nosed out Williamstown by one point. In the shadows of the siren young Towners forward Jaylon Thorpe missed a set-shot — narrowly.
“He kicks that goals, they (Willy) go through,’’ Newman said.
“Fortunately he missed so here we are now.’’
From last Sunday’s team Box Hill had the option of bringing in four players who appeared in Hawthorn’s semi-final team: David Mirra, James Worpel, Conor Nash and Ryan Schoenmakers.
Last night the Hawks named Mirra, Worpel and Nash in a starting 18 made up of AFL players.
VFL-listers Andrew Moore, Will Hams, Anthony Brolic, Chris Jones, Brayden Kilpatrick, Michael Knoll, Nelson Lane and Mitch O’Donnell are on interchange.
Tom Maloney will fill the 23rd player slot.
Box Hill’s last premiership came in 2013 under the coaching of Damian Carroll, now a Hawthorn assistant.
Carroll also played in Casey’s last premiership, in 1999, when the club was Springvale (former Vales runner Jono Bence has been cracking this week that the grand final teams should be playing for the Damian Carroll Cup; as Casey’s game record-holder, Carroll probably figures he’ll have a winning changeroom to enter on Sunday).
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Springvale relocated to Casey Fields in Cranbourne in 2006, changing its name to Casey Scorpions, who were rebranded the Casey Demons at the end of 2016.
Casey made the grand final in 2016, only to lose to Footscray Bulldogs.
This year it has attained similar excellence under first-year coach Jade Rawlings.
While the Hawks attempt to win the premiership from outside the top four — they finished sixth — the Demons began their tilt at it from second. They took Geelong to the cleaners in the qualifying final and toughed out an eight-point win over Essendon in last Saturday’s preliminary final.
From that team they have lost Dion Johnstone to suspension — offered one week for striking Bomber Nino Lazzaro, Johnstone went to the tribunal on Wednesday night, was found guilty and received a two-match ban — and Joel Smith, who was last night called up to Melbourne’s team for the AFL preliminary final.
But the Demons included omitted Demon Bayley Fritsch, who has yet to play a VFL game this season, and Pat McKenna, who has recovered from injury.
Melbourne-listed big man Mitch King was again left out, with Rawlings opting to use a combination of Cam Pedersen, Tim “Bull’’ Smith and Mykelti Lefau in the ruck.
Melbourne is expected to take two players over to Perth but they will fly home in time to play in the VFL grand final.
“There’s a lot to play out over the weekend,’’ Rawlings said at the press conference.
Impressive youngster Tom Freeman has been picked as Casey’s 23rd man.
The clubs have met only four times in VFA/VFL finals and never in a grand final.
Their most recent September skirmish was in 2001, when a young Sam Mitchell was in the Hawks’ best.
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BOX HILL HAWKS EDGE BOROUGH IN CLASSIC FINAL
The VFL Women’s grand final between Hawthorn and Geelong will raise the curtain to the Hawks-Casey clash.
The women’s match will be broadcast live via video stream on vfl.com.au
It’s only the third VFL W grand final and with the absence of back-to-back champion Darebin from the final two teams a new premier will be crowned.
Patrick Hill’s Hawthorn progressed to the grand final with an 11-point win over Collingwood, and Geelong came from fourth to defeat NT Thunder by nine points and then Collingwood by 14 in the preliminary final.
Both teams will feature AFL Women’s up-and-coming talent — Sarah Perkins (Adelaide), Rebecca Beeson (GWS Giants), Emma Mackie (Western Bulldogs) and Phoebe McWilliams (GWS Giants now Geelong AFLW) for the Hawks, and Richelle Cranston (Melbourne now Geelong AFLW), Maddie Boyd (GWS Giants now Geelong AFLW), Kate Darby (Geelong AFLW) and Anna Teague (Melbourne now Geelong AFLW) for the Cats.
Gates open at 12pm. Tickets adults $23, concession $16 and children under 15 free.
VFL GRAND FINAL SIDES
Sunday, September 23, 3.20pm at Etihad Stadium
Casey Demons team
B: 6. J. Munro, 45. D. Keilty, 42. J. Wagner
HB: 29. J. Hunt, 55. H. Petty, 63. B. Vince
C: 31. B. Fritsch, 18. J. Lockhart, 9. M. Gent
HF: 33. J. Kennedy-Harris, 38. T. Smith, 40. P. McKenna
F: 36. J. Garlett, 1. J. Hutchins, 24. C. MacHaya
R: 21. C. Pedersen, 12. T. Bugg, 13. C. Wagner
Int: 32. J. Briggs, 23. W. Collis, 41. M. Lefau, 22. G. Lok, 35. A. Quigley, 27. A. Scott, 49. C. Stockdale, 2. M. White
23P: 67. T. Freeman
In: G. Lok, P. McKenna, J. Briggs, A. Scott, B. Fritsch, A. Quigley
Out: D. Johnstone, J. Smith
Box Hill Hawks
B: 42. T. Miles, 59. K. Brand, 32. D. Mirra
HB: 44. C. Glass, 61. T. O’Brien, 43. C. Jiath
C: 52. J. O’Rourke, 60. K. Lovell, 50. D. Willsmore
HF: 37. J. Ross, 45. C. Nash, 51. B. Whitecross
F: 41. O. Hanrahan, 39. M. Lewis, 36. D. Moore
R: 56. M. Pittonet, 38. J. Worpel, 46. J. Cousins
Int: 7. A. Brolic, 10. W. Hams, 12. C. Jones, 11. B. Kilpatrick, 20. M. Knoll, 14. N. Lane, 2. A. Moore, 4. M. O’Donnell
23P: 17. T. Maloney
In: M. Knoll, D. Mirra, C. Nash, J. Worpel
VFLW GRAND FINAL SIDES
Sunday, September 23. 12.30pm at Etihad Stadium
Hawthorn team
B: 25. M. Hutchins, 32. K. Ebb, 31. J. Sibley
HB: 13. E. Nixon, 21. P. Randall, 36. J. Van Dyk
C: 40. E. Macdonald, 1. E. Mackie, 12. T. Nestor
HF: 14. O. Flanagan, 8. R. Beeson, 35. C. O’Donnell
F: 22. T. Luke, 7. P. McWilliams, 28. S. Perkins
R: 19. L. Wotton, 5. C. Perera, 6. J. Crockett-Grills
Int: 45. M. Cann, 4. S. Carroll, 24. R. Dillon, 33. E. Gilder
Emg: 26. C. Dyett, 30. K. Henderson, 44. S. Kendall, 3. E. Mcilvena
23P: 43. E. Woods
In: C. Dyett, E. Gilder, E. Macdonald, E. Mcilvena, K. Henderson, O. Flanagan
Out: D. Haines, M. Kuys
Geelong Cats
B: 26. R. Pearce, 44. R. Goring, 40. A. Teague
HB: 34. A. McDonald, 25. E. Coventry, 1. J. Woollett
C: 3. H. Burchell, 13. M. Fogas, 20. N. Morrison
HF: 4. C. Blakeway, 5. J. Ivey, 2. D. Orr
F: 7. M. Clifford, 6. M. Boyd, 8. K. Darby
R: 24. M. McMahon, 30. R. Cranston, 45. M. Keryk
Int: 28. M. Fedele, 17. H. Mangan, 41. C. Stevens, 33. H. Trevean
Emg: 23. I. Currenti, 11. M. Klingbeil, 10. L. Taylor, 35. K. Woodroffe
23P: 16. O. Purcell
In: M. Klingbeil, N. Morrison, I. Currenti, K. Woodroffe
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