Coach: Marco Bello (third year)
Captain: David Mirra (third year)
2015 finish: Runner-up
2015 best and fairest placings: 1. Jonathan Simpkin / 2. David Mirra / 3. Kurt Heatherley
Last premiership: 2013
Alignment: Hawthorn
Box Hill suffered a second straight VFL Grand Final defeat in 2015, by 54 points at the hands of Williamstown. The inspired Seagulls exposed a lack of foot speed the Hawks had regularly overcome with their quick, precise ball movement reminiscent of alignment partner Hawthorn.
What’s worse is that plenty of pace has flown out the door, with Hawthorn-listed regulars Jonathan Simpkin and Jed Anderson now at new AFL clubs. However, quick small defender Max Warren, who played 60 games for North Ballarat between 2012 and 2015 while on North Melbourne’s list, will help in containing opposition small forwards – the likes of which torched the Hawks in the Grand Final.
Box Hill’s tall stocks have also taken a hit with key defender Sam Collins drafted by Fremantle, dual ‘Frosty’ Miller Medallist Sam Grimley signed as an Essendon top-up player and the retirement of AFL premiership Hawks Brian Lake and David Hale likely to see VFL regulars Kurt Heatherley, James Sicily and Tim O’Brien receive senior opportunities.
Connor O’Sullivan and Dale Hehir are former Eastern Football League talls who could fill those key-position holes, with prolific goalkicker Hehir named the EFL’s 2015 Division 1/2 Young Gun. Sam Smith is a ruckman originally from the Northern Territory, while Jack Firns starred as a lock-down key defender in Oakleigh’s TAC Cup Grand Final triumph last year.
Box Hill was the top-ranked team in the VFL for short kicks and uncontested marks in 2015, and expect to see more of the same under Marco Bello in 2016. The alignment with Hawthorn has been one of the competition’s most fruitful and will continue to provide a training ground for young AFL-listed Hawks to learn how to play the Hawthorn way.
Ins: Lachlan Williams (Dandenong Stingrays), Anthony Brolic (Eastern Ranges), Sam Smith (Kyabram), Max Canfield (Murray Bushrangers), Max Warren (North Melbourne), Connor O’Sullivan (Norwood), Brayden Kilpatrick (NSW/ACT Rams), Jack Firns (Oakleigh Chargers), Ben McIntyre (Penola), Dale Hehir (Scoresby), Liam Cox (South Croydon)
Outs: Peter McEvoy (Coburg), Ryan Exon, Nik Papadopoulos, Agape Patolo (Frankston), Sam Collins (Fremantle), Sam Crocker, Dalton Graham (Port Melbourne)