Box Hill suffered its first loss of the 2026 season, going down to Geelong by 47 points on Friday night.

The Round 2 clash saw 2025 draftee Matt Leray in for his debut game for Box Hill, while fellow South-Australian product Cam Nairn slotted his maiden goal at the level. Bailey Macdonald was a stand out on a dire night for the the Hawks, while VFL-listed Brodie McLaughlin made an impact up forward on club debut. 

Box Hill Senior Coach David Mirra detailed the performances of each AFL-listed Hawk in Round 2 below.

Finn Maginness (29 disposals, 15 contested possessions, five tackles)

“A primary engine in the midfield, Finn relished the heavy lifting against a tough Geelong unit. He was tough at the coalface, racking up 15 contested possessions and driving the team forward with nine inside 50s.”

Harry Morrison (21 disposals, 11 intercept possessions, eight marks)

“Harry showcased his versatility this week, rotating through both the backline and the midfield. We utilised him in a variety of roles to take full advantage of his ability to impact the game across the ground. Much like his performance last week, his decision-making under pressure was excellent. He looks to be back to his damaging best, breaking lines with his signature run and carry and acting as a primary playmaker in our transition from the defensive half.”

Bodie Ryan (19 disposals, six marks, six intercept possessions)

“Bodie stood tall as one of the night’s standout performers. Despite a challenging start, he was backed in to shut down the dangerous (Daniel) Capiron, who had already booted four opening-term goals. Bodie rose to the occasion, restricting his opponent to just one goal for the remainder of the match. Beyond his lockdown work, he recorded seven rebound 50s, using the ball with composure to spark our attack from the defensive half.”

Bailey Macdonald (19 disposals, seven intercept possessions, three marks)

“Arguably the best on ground for Box Hill, Bailey convincingly won his position. He utilised his trademark running power to break lines, constantly posing a threat to the opposition whenever he had the ball and providing the spark the team needed.”

Ollie Greeves (19 disposals, six marks, six tackles)

“It was pleasing to see Ollie find plenty of opportunities to impact the contest. Known for his inside strength, he worked hard to find more space on the spread this week, finishing with 12 uncontested possessions. His growth in balancing his contested power with outside run is a great sign for his development.”

Max Ramsden (One goal, 17 disposals, 13 hitouts)

“Max put in a tireless shift across both the ruck and the forward line. Competing against an experienced campaigner in Rhys Stanley, Max’s persistence paid off late in the game. His best moments came when he followed up his ruck work with intent, hauling in some impressive contested marks in the final term and hitting the scoreboard. A ‘Stang of the Week’ effort.

Flynn Perez (16 disposals, seven marks, five intercept possessions)

“Flynn has set a high bar for himself this season, and while he only drifted into the main action in patches on Friday, his team-first mentality was on full display. He maintained good defensive pressure throughout, proving he can influence a game even without high possession numbers. When Flynn does get the ball in hand and drives forward, he remains one of our most dangerous assets.”

Cam Nairn (Two goals, 14 disposals, five marks)

“Cam put together a complete performance rotating between the wing and half-forward. His disposal was clean, frequently setting up attacking chains with his ball use. He finished the night with two goals and a direct assist, proving to be a vital link in our forward transition.”

Cody Anderson (Two goals, 13 disposals, four tackles)

“Splitting his time between the midfield and forward line, Cody was a constant threat. He finished with 2.1, including a spectacular long-range bomb from 60 metres out. His defensive pressure inside 50 was arguably his best attribute, and he continues to work hard on his fitness to help support the defensive transition.”

Aidan Schubert (Two goals, 10 disposals, four marks)

“Aidan’s vertical leap and strength were on display as he clunked three big contested marks against high-quality opposition. He combined that aerial threat with a massive work rate, running deep into the ground before working back toward goal to finish with a handy 2.2 for the night.”

Matt Leray (Nine disposals, five marks, three intercept possessions)

“Making his Box Hill season debut, Matt showed great resilience after an initial adjustment period. He really found his rhythm in the second half, executing his role. His highlight was a strong spoil that locked the ball in our forward half, preventing Geelong from clearing their defensive zone. He’ll look to build on this solid foundation.”

Calsher Dear (Nine disposals, four inside 50s, two marks)

“Playing a deeper forward role, Calsher faced a tough assignment against the experienced Jake Kolodjashnij. While he didn’t have his usual scoreboard impact, he remained active in the hunt, creating several front-half turnovers and intercepts through his positioning and pressure.”

Jack Dalton (One goal, nine disposals, four tackles)

“Jack’s work ethic is never in question; he consistently tests the opposition’s lungs with his elite running capacity. While it was tougher to find the high possession numbers of previous weeks, partly due to our ball movement not quite finding him in space, his commitment to getting to the outside remained a key asset.”

Matt Hill (Eight disposals, three tackles, two intercept possessions)

“Hilly continues to bring elite-level pressure to the forward line. While he’ll rue a couple of missed chances on goal, his highlight of the night was a blistering run through the corridor to set up Cam Nairn’s first major. It’s been great to see the steady progress in Matt’s game throughout the season.”

Will McCabe (Six disposals, two marks, two score involvements)

“Coming off a dominant performance last week, it was clear Geelong had done their homework on Will. Will found space hard to come by. Despite the heavy attention and limited touches, he never stopped providing his signature run. It is a good sign for Will now attracting some of the better defenders in the competition.”

Jaime Uhr-Henry (Nine hitouts, five disposals, two clearances)

“Jaime continues to take big strides in his development. Matching up against an AFL-listed ruckman like Rhys Stanley provided a steep learning curve that will serve him well in the long run. As always, Jaime’s follow-up work at ground level after the hit-out was a standout feature of his game.”

A VFL player shout out…

Brodie McLaughlin (Three goals, 10 disposals, five marks)

“Hawthorn fans will remember Brodie from his SSP trial earlier this year before a foot injury sidelined him for a lengthy rehab. Now fully fit and signed with Box Hill, he made an immediate impact in his first game of the year. Beyond his three-goal haul, his leadership and elite effort were infectious. We’re excited to see him progress as he gets more match fitness under his belt.”

The Hawks will look to return to the winners list as they travel to Casey Fields to take on the Demons in Round 3 on Sunday from 11.05am.