A strong showing from senior players fighting to force their way into Hawthorn’s AFL grand final team helped the Box Hill Hawks upset Geelong for the VFL premiership.

The senior Hawks were superb on Sunday at Etihad Stadium as they ended Geelong’s 13-game winning streak with the 14.15 (99) to 11.12 (78) grand final win.

Jed Anderson, Shane Savage, Matt Spangher, Taylor Duryea, Kyle Cheney and Jonathon Simpkin are all hoping to fill the spot made vacant by a serious knee injury to Brendan Whitecross in last Friday night’s AFL preliminary final win over Geelong.

Box Hill coach Damain Carroll admitted the presence of the senior players striving for an AFL grand final berth had boosted his side in the 21-point win.

“It can only help – I think it was really good we were able to go into the game with nobody being held over, and four or five players thinking they could be a chance,” he said.

“Wouldn’t it be a great story to have two of these (premiership medals) in two weeks, if we can get the job done against a strong Dockers side.”

The Hawks did not show any cards for next Saturday’s AFL grand final.

No-one was rested more than others and Box Hill ran their senior players when the contest was at its hottest, in the first half and the early minutes of the third quarter.

Carroll said the players were all under strict instructions for their recovery over the next couple of days and would be ready for the AFL grand final.

Whitecross will miss the grand final for the second successive year because of a knee injury.

Lance Franklin (elbow), Brent Guerra (corked thigh) and Paul Puopolo (ankle) also must prove their fitness after the bruising preliminary final win.

Spangher was superb, mopping up in defence and launching counter-attacks.

The Hawks also rotated Anderson and Savage through the middle and Simpkin was strong in attack.

Simpkin won the Norm Goss Medal as best afield for his 26 disposals and two goals.

He was unsure if his performance would win him an AFL grand final berth.

“I will just have to wait and see – there are a handful of guys who can take the spot next week,” he said.

Carroll said winning the medal would help Simpkin, but added it would be a difficult choice for Hawthorn selectors.

“He has played 13 games and he is obviously a guy who we believe can find the footy and is pretty damaging in the way he uses it,” Carroll said.

“I thought him, Savage, Anderson, Duryea, Spangher, all those guys who have played senior footy, did their chances no harm.”

Box Hill controlled the opening quarter and were able to shut out Geelong’s senior players, who have dominated for much of a season where the grand final loss was just their third.

Josh Walker, who kicked four goals in the first half, was dragging the Cats back into the game before he was completely shut out by Spangher.

Taylor Hunt was the best of Geelong’s AFL-listed players, but even his influence was curtailed after he slid into the fence and appeared to hurt his shoulder.