The VFL Grand Final clash doubled as a final audition for those Hawks bidding to replace the injured Brendan Whitecross in Saturday's season decider against Fremantle.
The leading contenders would appear to be Jed Anderson, Shane Savage, Taylor Duryea and Simpkin.
With these players facing a six-day break before the Grand Final, their game time was carefully managed on Sunday, with Box Hill ensuring all four did not play more than 80 per cent of the match.
Of the quartet, Simpkin has been out of the Hawks' team the longest, having last played in round 20. Savage and Duryea were dropped after round 23 and Anderson after playing as the Hawks' substitute in their qualifying final win over the Sydney Swans.
But Simpkin, 25, stole a march on his teammates against the Cats' VFL team, racking up 26 possessions and kicking two goals as he floated between the wing and attack.
The performance earned the former Geelong rookie the Norm Goss Medal for best afield and helped power the Hawks to a 21-point win.
After the game, Simpkin was understandably reluctant to speculate on whether his game had boosted his chances of playing against Fremantle.
"I'm not sure about that, I'll just wait and see," Simpkin said.
"There are a handful of guys who can come up and take the spot."
Simpkin said before Sunday's VFL Grand Final he had not thought too much about the opening Whitecross' second serious knee injury in little more than a year had created in the Hawks' Grand Final team.
"I guess we were just focusing on what we had to do today and trying to get the win for the team," Simpkin said.
Little doubt, Simpkin is mindful he faces serious competition for the Hawks' Grand Final vacancy.
Savage, Duryea and Anderson all did enough against the VFL Cats to keep themselves in the selection frame.
Savage had 16 possessions, four inside-50s and kicked 1.1, Duryea had 17 possessions and Anderson had 14 touches and a team-high eight tackles and six clearances.
Savage told AFL.com.au after the game Box Hill's management of players' game time would ensure the six-day break before the Grand Final would not be an issue for any player earning a senior recall.
Savage was also mindful that his chances of playing in the Grand Final had been boosted by the dreadful luck of his housemate Whitecross.
Whitecross missed last year's Grand Final after rupturing his right anterior cruciate ligament in Hawthorn's qualifying final win over Collingwood.
After coming on as Hawthorn's substitute midway through the third quarter of Friday night's preliminary final win over Geelong, Whitecross again ruptured the same ligament.
"'Whitey' came home and he was in good spirits," Savage said.
"It was unfortunate. You never want to see those sort of things happen to your teammates, but he's all right."
Kyle Cheney, one of Hawthorn's preliminary final emergencies, was another solid performer against the VFL Cats with 17 possessions, while key-position player Matt Spangher (19 possessions and five rebound 50s) and tall forward Sam Grimley (three goals) also impressed.
Twitter: @AFL_Nick
