The Box Hill Hawks’ home and away season came to a close in disappointing fashion on Sunday afternoon, with Zane Littlejohn’s side beaten by 23 points at Casey Fields.

In concert with Footscray’s mammoth win over Carlton, the result sees the Hawks finish in second place on the VFL ladder and set up a qualifying final showdown against Southport in a fortnight’s time.

Box Hill started the contest in promising enough fashion, booting four goals to one in the opening period to take a 17-point lead into quarter time. The boys in brown and gold would also steady late in the second term in response to a surge in momentum from the hosts, ultimately retaining a seven-point advantage come the main break.  

Looking to consolidate a decent first half and gap the Demons, Sam Butler, one of the Hawks’ best on the day, kicked a goal some two minutes into the third quarter – but from that moment on it was all Casey. Chasing an automatic finals berth, the Dees kicked seven goals to one in what remained of the contest to run out comfortable winners.

Come the final siren, the stats sheet made for uncomfortable reading for the Hawks, who trailed in nearly every key statistical indicator.

Going some way to explain how and where things went wrong for Box Hill, the visitors were -46 in total disposals, -19 for inside 50s, -8 for scoring shots, -17 for clearances and -25 for tackles.

The Demons got great value from their prime movers, too, with Riley Bonner and Jack Billings each tallying 40 touches, while big man Tom Campbell won a game-high 10 clearances from 21 hit-outs. 

As for the Hawks, Jai Serong was again judged to be his side’s best player. Deployed in a back six which was regularly under the pump, ‘Sez’ was his usual, assured self in the contest and with ball in hand. He finished the day with 24 touches, seven marks and a team-high nine rebounds 50s.

Debutant Tom Farrer’s encouraging display was also recognised by his coaches. The Old Scotch product worked tirelessly out of half-forward all day to apply pressure, spread and present. He finished with eight touches, four marks and a classy final quarter goal.

Stu Horner continued his fine 2025 campaign, too. The reliable, combative and hard-working stand-in skipper waxed with his fellow defenders to repel countless Casey attacks and was named in his side’s best because of it. Horner stood up time and again to keep his side in the game and finished the afternoon with 20 touches and seven marks.

Midfielder Sam Butler was another to stand out on a difficult day, winning an equal team-high 25 touches and an equal game-high 10 marks, as well as four tackles and three score involvements. ‘Buts’ has been superb since returning from the broken leg which ended his 2024 season and delayed his start to 2025 – and so he was again on Sunday.

Hard-running wingman Ethan Stanley joined Butler and company among the Hawks’ best players on account of his 14 disposals, four marks, one goal afternoon, showcasing his work ethic up and down the wing and, occasionally, inside the contest from first siren to last.

Last among Box Hill’s named best was Will McCabe. Playing in the front half of the ground, McCabe won 13 disposals, finished with three inside 50s, took six marks and kicked 1.2 in a positive display.

Other notable performances came in the form of Henry Hustwaite, who tallied 25 touches and won eight clearances; Ned Reeves, who finished with 18 disposals, 31 hit outs, five clearances and five tackles; Seamus Mitchell, who recorded 23 touches and nine marks; and Jasper Scaife, who booted an equal-game high three goals from six marks and seven touches.

Despite early forecasts predicting a wet and wild finish to the season, Box Hill rolled into Casey Fields under blue skies and, most surprisingly of all, little to no wind.

The Demons found the first of the day after barely a minute from Ricky Mentha and controlled the opening five to six minutes as they hunted a second.

Ethan Stanley kicked the Hawks’ first of the day, which set in motion the visitors’ best period of football for the afternoon.

Between the 10 and 20 minute marks of the first quarter, the Hawks kicked four unanswered goals to snatch the momentum away from Casey, with Jasper Scaife’s quick-fire double consolidated by a strong Will McCabe mark and finish from the goal square to send the sides to quarter time separated by 17 points.

The second term started much the same way as the first: with the Demons on the attack. Just as Mentha had done half an hour earlier, Bailey Laurie found the mark for Casey early in the piece, but unlike the first quarter, Casey were able to find a crucial second goal via Jack Billings.

A neat on-the-run finish from Trent Bianco put a pause on the Demons’ growing momentum, before Max Ramsden kicked truly either side of a pair of Casey minor scores to re-instate the Hawks’ two-kick lead.

Goals from Charlie Spargo and Matthew Jefferson edged the hosts to within a point late in the frame, before Scaife swooped on a loose ball inside 50 and violently snapped a third for the half.

Butler handed his side the ideal start to the second half, kicking truly early in the piece, but, as said earlier in this report, it was as good as things got for the Hawks in the run to the final siren.

Luker Kentfield and Riley Bonner kicked back-to-back goals to trim the deficit to a point once again, before Aiden Johnson handed his side their first lead since early in the first quarter on 16 minutes.

Further goals arrived via Toby Sinnema and Paddy Cross as the Demons kicked 2.4 to 0.0 in time on – and 5.7 to 1.3 for the term all told – to flip the game on its head and take a 21-point lead into three quarter time.

With the Hawks needing a goal early on to keep the game alive, it was Casey who landed the first blow of the final term. Luker Kentfield kicked his second on the day to extend the Demons’ lead, before debutant Tom Farrer kicked a first VFL goal a short while later to keep his side’s hopes alive.

Kentfield’s third on 15 minutes dealt the Hawks’ hopes a hammer blow and, as it turns out, was the final goal of the afternoon.

Between the 17-minute mark and the final siren, Box Hill would attack to no avail, booting 0.5 to 0.0 to draw a close to a disappointing day.

The Hawks will return to action in two weeks time, hosting Southport in a qualifying final at Box Hill City Oval. Match timings will be communicated once confirmed by the VFL.

Best: Serong, Farrer, Horner, Butler, Stanley, McCabe

Goals: Scaife 3, Stanley, Ramsden, McCabe, Farrer, Butler, Bianco

Disposals: Hustwaite 25, Butler 25, Serong 24, Mitchell 23, Ward 20, Horner 20