The Western Bulldogs were too strong for Box Hill in the VFLW on Sunday afternoon at Mission Whitten Oval, with the Hawks suffering a 25-point defeat. 

VFLW Coach Michael Ericson said it was a tough day for his team.

“They were a good side and they used the ball better than we did,” he said.

“We tried all day but it wasn’t our day so now we regroup and head up the highway to Wonthaggi this weekend.”

Ericson also reviewed all 10 AFLW-listed Hawks that featured on the day and gave a shout-out to a VFLW-listed player as well.

Tilly Lucas-Rodd (24 disposals, five marks, two tackles) 

“Tilly came in for their first game of the year. They provided lots of run and leadership. It was good to have Tilly in the side, they used the ball really well and I think they’ll be really good for the run. It looked like they hadn’t missed a beat.”

Bridget Deed (17 disposals, four tackles, two inside 50s) 

“Bridget played as an inside midfielder, worked into the game and did a few good things for us in the contest. For her, it’s just going to be about continuing to build on the impact she’s having when she’s in there, getting the ball out and giving everyone first use of the footy.”

Charlotte Baskaran (17 disposals, five tackles, three inside 50s, two clearances) 

“She started a bit quietly but got herself going throughout the game. She was really good in patches through the midfield. She was able to use her explosive pace and get out of the contest. When she’s at her best, she’s very good and you see that with how easy she makes it look when breaking away from a contest.”

Ainslie Kemp (One goal, 16 disposals, five marks, two tackles) 

“Kempy started down back and was playing quite well. She even almost kicked a goal early in the game. At half-time, I was looking for something different down forward so we threw Kempy forward and she provided us a great target. She obviously finished with a goal and didn’t look out of place in the forward line. It was pleasing to show her versatility.”

Hayley McLaughlin (13 disposals, four marks, four tackles, two clearances, two inside 50s) 

“I think the Hawks have a good one in Hayley. Her brutality when tackling means not many players can break her tackles. Her work rate is fantastic and she’s going to be a player to watch in the coming years. She’s really exciting with what she offers in terms of her run and pressure on the ball.”

Laura Elliott (12 disposals, two marks, two tackles) 

“Laura came into the side and slotted in seamlessly. She was providing that run out of half-back. The ball was in there a fair bit so she linked up well with her teammates. It was good to see her back playing some good football.”

Laura Stone (10 disposals, four inside 50s, three clearances) 

“Stoney was probably a little bit quiet for her standards. Being a young player, she’s just finding that balance of when to impact and when not to impact. At times, she impacted really well but what we want to help her improve on is probably when she doesn’t have the football, because we know how much of a weapon she can be offensively.”

Mikayla Williamson (Seven disposals, three tackles) 

“Statistically, Mikayla will look quiet but she took on a lot of learnings from the Sydney game last week. She defended really hard and got us going on offence. ”

Sophie Locke (One goal, seven disposals, four tackles, three inside 50s) 

“Sophie Locke had a tough day. There were a few ‘almost’ moments for Sophie. She finished with a nice goal but that crafty small forward role is a challenging role and it’s one we’ll continue to work with her on so she’s able to have an impact on games.”

Sophie Butterworth (One goal, four disposals, two marks)

“For Butters, it was about getting exposure to the level and seeing what she could do. There were times in the game when you could see exactly the player that she can be and will be in the years to come. She flew high for the ball at times and finished off her nice work with a goal.”

…and a shout-out for a VFLW-listed player 

Rosie Dillon (18 disposals, eight tackles, three clearances, two inside 50s)

“Rosie was inside the contest and went forward for a little bit. She’s just so clean with her hands and her ability to extract the football and give it to our outside runners. She was fantastic.”

Box Hill will now look to bounce back from consecutive losses against Sydney and the Western Bulldogs at Wonthaggi Recreation Reserve on Sunday morning at 11.30am.

With the Southern Saints awaiting the Hawks, Ericson is looking forward to the challenge of playing another strong team, especially at a much-loved region in Wonthaggi. 

“We got down to Wonthaggi for pre-season camp and it’s a great part of the world,” he said.

“We’ve got a few players from down that way like our captain Tam Luke, so we’re excited to get down there. 

“We’re looking forward to taking on the Southern Saints too, they’ve had some good form in some of the matches they’ve played.

“We’ve had a couple of tough weeks against some real quality opposition and again, we play quality opposition this week, so it will be exciting to see what we’ve been working on over the last couple of weeks and hopefully, we’ll be able to implement it down in Wonthaggi and bring back the win.”

To find out more about Box Hill’s trip to Wonthaggi, click here.