The chance to take on Collingwood for the 2025 rebel VFLW premiership is on the line when the Box Hill Hawks and North Melbourne-Werribee meet at Kinetic Stadium in the preliminary final on Saturday.
It’s been a mixed finals series for the Hawks, having won a thriller over Essendon in the first elimination final to end a seven-year finals hoodoo before being outplayed by the Magpies in the second semi final last week.
They will feel worthy of being in a preliminary final after a strong home and away campaign, which saw them finish in third place.
However, Michael Ericson’s team will need to quickly rebound from last Saturday’s effort, when they were outplayed by a powerful Collingwood outfit in a 25-point defeat at ETU Stadium.
Box Hill has its host of match-winners across its squad. Stasia Stevenson, Gabby Collingwood, Rosie Dillon and Isla Baldwin have been stringing together some good performances of late and Matilda Van Berkel has averaged over nine intercepts in her last three matches.
Meanwhile, Paige Price dominated the last time these two sides met back in Round 4, where she had 17 disposals, 28 hitouts, seven tackles, six intercepts and five clearances despite the Hawks being well beaten on scoreboard.
Averaging 31.3 hitouts and over six tackles per game over the past month, Price is capable of playing a big role and will need to against Kate Reynolds to ensure North Melbourne-Werribee’s strong midfield doesn’t get silver service.
Up forward, Jess Matin has been a reliable presence in 2025 and has kicked multiple majors in five games this season. Only Nyakoat Dojiok and Amelia Peck have booted more goals than her this season.
The challenge of taking down the minor premiers in North Melbourne-Werribee will be a tough one no doubt, particularly given the reminder the Roos served to the remaining premiership hopefuls via their first semi final performance last Sunday.
The reigning premiers produced 21 scoring shots to seven in their 24-point victory over Williamstown at Arden Street Oval to bounce back swifty from their qualifying final defeat.
Star trio Alana Barba, Maddie Di Cosmo and Renee Tierney each collected 17 disposals to ensure their side didn’t have a repeat of their performance against Collingwood the week prior.
Tierney had a particularly impressive performance, with her game including nine marks, eight tackles (four inside 50), and a goal to lead from the front in an outstanding captain’s game.
When these two sides last played, Barba had 19 disposals and 13 tackles while Di Cosmo produced 27 disposals and three clearances. Similar displays on Saturday will go a long way towards sending North Melbourne-Werribee to its second-successive Grand Final.
In their only meeting this year, the Kangaroos comfortably defeated a then unbeaten Box Hill to the tune of 34 points at Arden Street Oval in Round 4, with the real damage done after main break when the home side piled on five goals to one.
MATCH DETAILS
Saturday, August 23
Box Hill Hawks vs North Melbourne-Werribee
Kinetic Stadium
12:05pm AEST
ENTRY
Entry to all rebel VFLW finals is free.
BROADCAST AND STREAMING
All matches in the 2025 rebel VFLW Finals Series will be broadcast live and free on AFL.com.au and the AFL Live Official App.
2025 SEASON
BOX HILL HAWKS
3rd, 9-5, 153.5%
STREAK: Lost 1 (2025: LWWLLWLWWWWLLWWW)
NORTH MELBOURNE-WERRIBEE
1st, 12-2, 267.9%
STREAK: Won 1 (2025: WLWWWWWWWWLWWLWW)
2025 MEETING
Round 4 – Arden Street Oval
NORTH MELBOURNE-WERRIBEE 2.1 4.3 7.4 9.7 (61)
BOX HILL HAWKS 2.1 3.1 3.2 4.3 (27)
BEST
North Melbourne: Gen Lawson Tavan, Tahlia Meier, Renee Tierney, Charlotte Ryan, Amanda Ling, Elisabeth Jackson
Box Hill Hawks: Paige Price, Matilda Van Berkel, Isla Baldwin, Stasia Stevenson, Tess Cattle, Nat Exon
GOALS
North Melbourne: Charlotte Blair, Nyakoat Dojiok, Tahlia Meier, Kelsie Ternes 2, Renee Tierney
Box Hill Hawks: Gabby Collingwood, Miz Kendall, Jess Matin, Stasia Stevenson
DISPOSALS
North Melbourne-Werribee: Maddie Di Cosmo 27, Charlotte Ryan 25, Renee Tierney 21, Jemmika Douglas 19, Alana Barba 19
Box Hill Hawks: Paige Price 17, Stasia Stevenson 16, Isla Baldwin 15
