The Box Hill Hawks’ VFLW season came to a close on Saturday afternoon, falling to ladder-leaders North Melbourne by 21 points in a hard-fought preliminary final at Kinetic Stadium.
The Kangaroos burst out of the blocks, flexing their strength with a 4.1 (25) to 1.3 (9) opening term. Despite the scoreboard pressure, Box Hill showed plenty of fight early, winning clearances and matching North’s intensity, but couldn’t quite capitalise in front of goal.
The second quarter saw North Melbourne look to stamp their authority, extending the margin with two goals to one. While the Kangaroos created a buffer that made the task more difficult for the Hawks, the contest highlighted two elite sides going head-to-head, with the eventual winner always going to be well deserving of a grand final berth.
Box Hill went into the main break with a challenge on their hands, knowing they would need to come out swinging in the second half. True to their season-long resilience, the Hawks lifted and turned the tide with sharp decision-making and slick ball movement that kept the contest wide open. Goals to Mia Zielinski, Jess Matin and Emma Stilve gave Box Hill all the momentum heading into the final term.
Despite narrowing the margin to just nine points, the Hawks’ comeback fell just short as North Melbourne steadied with two late goals to seal the contest. The final score read 6.5 (41) to 9.8 (62) in favour of the Kangaroos, capping off a high-quality contest that both sides can be extremely proud of.
Annabelle Embelton led the way for the Hawks with 22 disposals, capping off a standout season, while Nat Exon finished her retirement game with 16 touches and a goal to her name, leaving it all on the field.
Although the Hawks didn’t secure a spot in the Grand Final, they should be extremely proud of their efforts. They gave it their all and had a real chance, setting themselves up perfectly for 2026. We want to thank everyone for your support throughout the season, we couldn’t have achieved this without you.
GOALS: Mia Zielinski (2), Jess Matin (2), Emma Stilve, Nat Exon
DISPOSALS: A.Embelton (22), I.Baldwin (19), Nat Exon (16), R.Dillon (16)
