The Box Hill Hawks secured a 13th win on the season and a sixth victory in succession on Sunday, coming from behind to defeat Williamstown at DSV Stadium.

Challenged all afternoon by a well organised and niggly Seagulls outfit, the Hawks trailed by 16-points at the final change and were still 15-points in arrears as the fourth quarter ticked into time on.

Four unanswered goals turned the contest on it’s head and secured the Hawks – the competition’s best fourth quarter team – an all-important four points in the run-in to September and a small measure of revenge for last season’s elimination final defeat.

Box Hill recorded 19 inside 50s in the final period – a whisker under one third of their total for the day – to Williamstown’s seven, took four marks inside 50 to their nil and kicked 5.3 to their hosts 1.1 to turn the match around in a thrilling fourth quarter effort.

Ned Reeves proved to be the most influential player on the ground, winning his individual battle with Seagulls’ ruck Tom Downie, before turning match-winner with two vital final quarter goals.

Reeves won a game-high 40 hit-outs, recorded a team-high seven clearances, a game-high nine score involvements, took five marks and kicked 3.1 from 13 touches. His work was instrumental in the Hawks winning clearance by 10 and inside 50s by 19.

He was ably supported all afternoon by swingman Jai Serong, who spent his afternoon floating between the arcs and bobbing up whenever and wherever his team needed him.

The reigning Col Austen Trophy winner kicked the first and last goals of the contest, took a team-high 11 marks and won 25 touches in an assured and damaging display. Simply, if the situation called for a helping hand in defence Serong was there; if the team needed a goal Serong was there; if the Hawks wanted for an outlet on the wing or work rate in transition Serong was there. He was, as he so typically is, superb.

Another to perform well was Henry Hustwaite, who was the subject of some very close checking throughout the afternoon. One of the competition’s premier midfielders, Hustwaite battled through the hardest of tags to accumulate 20 touches, win an equal team-high seven clearances and kick an important third quarter goal.

Operating in the clinches from first siren to last, ‘Huss’ recorded a game-high 13 contested possessions and an equal-game high five tackles – impressing his ability to find his game despite extra attention.

Cam Mackenzie was able to form a damaging one-two punch with Hustwaite, finding time and space when there seemed to be none, driving through contest and willing his team forward to finish with a game-high 27 disposals, a game-high seven inside 50s and an equal team-high seven clearances. Like Hustwaite he was prepared to do his defensive work, too, laying five tackles.

Developing midfielder Cody Anderson continued his run of great form, working hard inside the contest and on the spread throughout the game. Pick 64 in the 2024 National Draft, Anderson’s season has gained momentum the longer its gone, with the former Eastern Ranges ball-winner again prominent against the Seagulls.

While his numbers were encouraging – 20 touches, 11 contested, three clearances, four inside 50s and a goal – its Anderson’s physicality and attack on the contest which continues to impress.

Lastly among the Hawks’ named best was Sam Durdin, who returned to the line-up as a late replacement for Kye Declase.

A focal point in attack, Durdin’s return of 0.4 goes some way to explaining how a good day might easily have been a sensational one. The one-time Carlton and North Melbourne defender had 12 touches, took five marks and recorded six score involvements, competing front of centre to create  time, space and opportunities for others.

It was his role in limiting the impact of Williamstown high-flyer Luke Parks which proved crucial, however. While the former Carlton rookie tallied a game-high 14 marks, Durdin’s ability to keep him grounded and accountable proved pivotal in the Hawks’ final quarter heroics.

Bodie Ryan was also impressive on his comeback from a nasty collarbone injury against Collingwood in round 10, slipping seamlessly into the Hawks’ back six to claim 23 touches, seven marks, four inside 50s and six rebounds; While Changkuoth Jiath was similarly busy and, when needed, slippery across half-back. ‘CJ’ finished with 22 touches and six marks as he works to win a senior re-call.

The experienced Luke Breust was also pivotal, kicking 3.2 from 12 touches and four marks. The three-time premiership Hawk showcased his class on countless occasions, finding ways to create and then convert half-chances during a fierce and fiery encounter.

Played in unnervingly sunny and still conditions at Williamstown’s DSV Stadium, the Hawks were gifted the perfect start when Serong gathered, composed himself and booted the first of the day just a minute in, but back-to-back Seagulls goals swung the early momentum back the hosts’ way.

Matt Hill bobbed up a short while later to kick a classy goal which gave the Hawks back the lead, before Jake Arundell and Ethan Stanley saw half-chances sail just the wrong side of and smack into the post to deny the Hawks the chance to meaningfully extend their lead.

Lachie Gollant kicked a behind for Williamstown which is notable because it was one of just two minor scores which came off the boot of a Seagulls player all afternoon, with the remaining two behinds they conceded having been rushed.

Gollant found his range early in time on of the first to hand the hosts back the lead, but good marks and better finishes from Jasper Scaife and Reeves handed the Hawks an eight-point quarter time lead.

The Seagulls made a move in the second term, kicking four unanswered goals to open the frame and build a 16-point lead as the quarter ticked into time on, but late majors from Breust and Anderson trimmed the margin to just two-points at the half.

If the Hawks had hoped to carry that momentum into the second half, the hosts had other ideas.

Nathan Colenso, Gollant and Jack Brown split the middle for Williamstown during a period in which Box Hill managed a single rushed behind for their toils and it looked like the Seagulls might blow the game apart.

But Hustwaite was on hand to snap a beauty to keep his side in touch, gathering cleanly and finishing instinctively to the scoreboard end to get the deficit back to just 13-points.

Hugo Hall-Kahan found a reply almost immediately, but Breust’s second arrived inside two minutes after that to stress to the Seagulls the ladder-leaders weren’t going away.

And while Colenso kicked his second in the shadows of three-quarter-time the Hawks kicked a trio of behinds to minimise the damage and further remind Williamstown that while they’re giving up chances Box Hill remain a sniff.

Breust’s third arrived within 90 seconds of the restart, but the Hawks’ hopes of quickly hauling in their hosts were scuppered by a pair of near-misses, which was then compounded by Brodie McLaughlin’s third of the afternoon.

Battling hard but struggling to make headway, Box Hill needed to figure things out and do it quickly. Their 9.13 to this point made for frustrating reading – and even more so when Williamstown had managed 13.3.

Ned Reeves popped up to mark and goal as the final term ticked into time on, before turning provider at a forward 50 stoppage to set-up the goal of the day off the boot of Trent Bianco. Reeves claimed the throw-in and dished to Bianco, who snapped a curling effort off a step from 35m out.

Reeves was in the thick of it again when he lead and marked hard against the boundary – but his shot was always skinny and the margin was still two-points with 25 minutes gone.

As it turned out, there was heaps of time left and Hawks’ fans needn’t be worried. Another deep forward 50 entry created a stoppage in the goal square, Reeves sharked the ball and in one motion snapped his third to give his side the lead.

But with time enough for the Seagulls to respond, Box Hill would have to be on their toes.

Fortunately, the next great chance would fall to a man in brown and gold. Jai Serong ran onto a hacked clearance out of the Hawks forward 50, collected himself and steered through the final nail.

Box Hill’s 13th goal of the afternoon handed the side a 10-point lead – from 10 more scoring shots, mind you – and a deserved four points.

The Hawks have a fixtured bye next weekend and will return to action the following week away to Southport.

Best: Reeves, Serong, Hustwaite, Mackenzie, Anderson, Durdin

Disposals: Mackenzie 27, Serong 25, Ryan 23, Jiath 22, Hustwaite 20, Butler 20, Anderson 20

Goals: Reeves, Breust 3, Serong 2, Scaife, Hustwaite, Hill, Bianco, Anderson