Former Hawk says Power coach Carr, like Mitchell, has ‘plan to win a premiership’

Port Adelaide’s new head of coaching, Andy Collins, can see plenty of parallels between Josh Carr and Sam Mitchell

Josh Carr during Port Adelaide’s clash with Carlton in round 20, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos

THE SIMILARITIES between Josh Carr and Sam Mitchell have already struck Port Adelaide’s new director of coaching.

Andy Collins has departed his beloved Hawthorn and Mitchell, joining Carr on a new journey at Port Adelaide.

And Collins didn’t take long to notice common threads between Hawk coach Mitchell and the Power’s new coach Carr.

“One of the cool things about Josh and Sam, they’re highly competitive young men,” Collins told reporters on Monday.

“I’d like to see them on the footy field together again – and that’s the way I remember Josh, highly competitive.

“One of the reasons I wanted to come here, he has got a really strong drive.”

Collins said both Mitchell, 43, and Carr, 45, had clear plans for their respective clubs.

“One of the things that has impressed me with Josh and Sam, they’ve got a plan – and a plan to win a premiership,” he said.

“And that’s really important.

“I think people talk about finals – you know, young coaches that are coming in with plans to win premierships, that’s exciting.

“You can see Hawthorn’s build. I’d like to think that Port Adelaide is going to accelerate past that very quickly.”

Collins was Hawthorn’s head of development for the past four years – returning at the same time as Mitchell’s first season in charge – after coaching in the VFL and SANFL, as well as past stints as an assistant coach at Richmond, the Hawks and St Kilda.

Andy Collins addresses players during the VFL Preliminary Final between Footscray and Box Hill at Mission Whitten Oval, September 13th, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

A triple Hawthorn premiership player, he said it was a difficult decision to leave the club.

“Love Hawthorn,” he said.

“Born and bred a Hawthorn supporter, played with Hawthorn, had two coaching stints there – love it, it’s hard to leave.

“But this is the industry that we’re in.

“And to come to Port Adelaide to have this exciting challenge to help support a new coaching team – wow.”

Collins said Carr would face similar challenges to Mitchell when he took over as Hawthorn’s coach ahead of the 2022 season.

Josh Carr and Ken Hinkley during the Round 24 match between Port Adelaide and Richmond at Adelaide Oval, August 27, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

“Sam had inherited a lot of a playing list and you can see that Hawthorn turned over a playing list in four or five years,” he said.

“So Josh will still have that challenge of player list management, around player expectation.

“And then the enormity of coaching a football club, how do you prepare a young man for that role?

“Sam is now four years, going into five years (as head coach) and Josh now is the leader of our football club, a very big figurehead.

“Now, we have our presidents and our CEOs. But have no doubt, one of the most public figures now is Josh – he’s more than equipped to handle it.”