As Collingwood set out to find Nathan Buckley’s successor in mid-2021, interest in Sam Mitchell is one of the major sliding door moments in modern AFL history.
Five years on, Mitchell is leading Hawthorn to a second-straight preliminary final as the Hawks coach looks to carry on the successes he experienced as a four-time premiership player and go a couple of steps further.
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If not this year, you feel like it’s only a matter of time before Mitchell, the coach, helps raise another trophy for the brown and gold.
His coaching journey is certainly more unique than most.
SLIDING DOORS MOMENT AFTER PIES POACHING SCHEME
Mitchell’s predecessor, Alastair Clarkson, was the architect of that last Hawthorn golden era.
Clarkson is one of the greatest coaches of all time and a football legend in every sense. He’s the only coach that’s won four premierships this century.
But when Collingwood came calling for Mitchell, a Hawks assistant at the time, in 2021, it put Hawthorn on notice by saying: ‘We want your man’.
And triggered a massive Hawthorn shake-up through its sensational coaching succession plan.
Mitchell returned to Hawthorn in 2020 after two years at West Coast and was already viewed internally as a potential Clarkson successor.
And so days after it emerged that Mitchell had pulled out of the Magpies’ coaching vacancy in July of 2021, Hawthorn announced its coaching handover plan. Mitchell was set to work under Clarkson for another year in 2022, before replacing the legendary coach in 2023.
But that plan was eventually accelerated and Mitchell stepped into the top job the following season.
Ironically, basically that same scenario played out with Collingwood a decade earlier when it organised for Buckley to take over from Mick Malthouse in the transition from a master coach to a highly-regarded and beloved club champion.
Sam Mitchell and Alastair Clarkson (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
A shout out to Graham Wright that should give Blues fans enormous faith in their direction under the chief executive.
Wright, Collingwood’s footy boss at the time, tried to poach Mitchell. Tick.
And that Magpies coaching search eventually landed the club its next premiership coach in Craig McRae. Tick.
Mitchell and McRae are two of the best coaches in the league. If every coach was made a free agent tomorrow and put into an open draft, they’d both surely go in the top five.
Of course, Wright also picked Josh Fraser as Carlton interim coach in the first place earlier this year as something of a left-field pick at the time. Fair to say that’s panning out OK, too!
“It almost put Hawthorn into overdrive,” former Hawks sharpshooter Ben Dixon said to foxfooty.com.au of that 2021 sliding doors moment.
“They knew a succession plan was in play, but it probably wasn’t inked. The Collingwood situation was the cat among the pigeons. Hawthorn wanted to go in a different direction and Sam obviously had big ambitions. Hawthorn was never going to let him go, because they knew what they had.
“What’s played out over the last five years is exactly what he came back to the club in preparation to do; get them back to the top very quickly.
“Everyone thought, and probably hoped, in a way, after Hawthorn has been synonymous with success that he was going to spend a bit of time down the bottom. But Sam’s not a bottom feeder, he’s an innovator.”
RAPID RISE AFTER EARLY QUESTIONS, CLARKO’S ‘CONNECTION’ LEGACY
Unlike Fraser and McRae, it wasn’t as smooth sailing for Mitchell when he first took the reins at Hawthorn.
They finished 13th in his first year in 2022 and shed a stack of experience that off-season including Tom Mitchell, Jaeger O’Meara, Ben McEvoy, Liam Shiels and, ironically, Jack Gunston.
There was criticism they cut too deep as the club committed to a full-blown rebuild. They appeared set for a fair bit of pain ahead … and the rebuild coach rarely survives.
Hawthorn fell further down the ladder to a bottom three-finish in 2023 – albeit, with a solid enough seven wins.
So, when the Hawks started the 2024 season 0-5, the club’s worst start to a campaign in 54 years, there was rightfully questions on Mitchell and his future as coach.
Hok-ball took over in 2024 (Photo by Jack Foley/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
What followed was a remarkable 14-4 turnaround and stunning charge to the second week of finals in the revolution of ‘Hokball’ — the new-age Hawks.
The Mitchell doubters were silenced. He’d turned over the majority of the list towards a younger demographic and transitioned the club into an exciting new era with a modern game style and dynamic ball movement.
It was the perfect example of the old, take one step backward to take two steps forward.
Dixon never questioned his ex-teammate’s ability to coach the game, given his footy IQ. But he did query Mitchell’s emotional quotient (EQ) and ability to connect with players.
“He’s a highly intelligent individual, got some really good footy IQ. The only doubt for me was his EQ — his connection with players,” Dixon said.
“He was a very driven player that did things his way. You’ve got to coach for the modern day, as they say, but also get on a level with the players, get to know them and how they tick. It’s beyond coaching, it’s getting that level of depth and going so granular on an individual that you know what makes them work.
“I thought that’s where he might struggle, knowing Sam for such a long time. The pop didn’t surprise, it was how quickly he got there with the connection with players and how much they bought into what he was about. He’s improved enormously in that area.”
It’s why Dixon thinks Mitchell’s experience coaching Box Hill in the VFL was critical.
“I think the best experience he ever had to get a better understanding of individuals was coaching Box Hill,” Dixon said.
“Coaching your own team at VFL level, you’re coaching players that aren’t going to play at the highest level. So, how do you get the best out of them? How do you connect with them?
“I think it was the best possible thing that could happen in his coaching career. That solidified he’s really going to get the most out of these individuals and he’s really improved that part of his coaching make-up.”
Sam Mitchell coaching the Box Hill Hawks (Photo by Cameron Grimes/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
Creating an environment for players to prosper in is arguably as important as anything.
Dixon says Mitchell “understands how important connection is and how there’s a family that comes with each player” — a philosophy the Hawthorn coach’s wife, Lyndall, has bought into and helped contribute towards.
A part of Mitchell’s learnings in that area can be attributed to Clarkson, who laid the path of Hawthorn as a ‘family club’ in a key part of the four-time premiership coach’s legacy.
“I’ll forever and a day back ‘Clarko’ in on what he taught,” Dixon said.
“He always spoke about the pyramids of communication: ‘How low can you get? Can you tell me how many kids you have? What are their names? Who’s your grandfather? What’s your dog’s name?’
“That’s how deep ‘Clarko’ got in terms of the connection. I’ll never forget when my dad, mum and grandfather walked through and he’d reel off all their names, he knew everyone. It’s elite from a coach.
“Sam had a big chunk of that and experienced a lot of that. ‘Clarko’ was very big on family, family first always. Sam would’ve learnt that and how to get the best out of players and make them feel welcome.
“That’s definitely a legacy ‘Clarko’ instilled at the club on all fronts.”
LIST OVERHAUL AND ROLE IN LIST MANAGEMENT
The way Mitchell’s Hawks popped in year three is remarkable when you consider the following.
Tigers coach Adem Yze just came off his own third season at Punt Road in a three-win campaign – notwithstanding how badly crucified Richmond was by injuries.
Andrew McQualter will enter his third season in chare of West Coast in 2027.
Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks just finished his seventh season after a rebuild and the club is yet to get past the second week of finals.
And North Melbourne has virtually been rebuilding for the last 10 years.
Granted, some groundwork of Hawthorn’s list regeneration had already started under Clarkson in the previous years.
But Hawthorn took a similar road to those clubs in terms of a bold list clean-out and turn to youth in proof that model can work.
Though the Hawks’ rapid turnaround was an outlier and happened ahead of time, as most rebuilds require far more time and patience.
It’s also an endorsement of the program overseen by one of the sharpest footy brains in the business.
Crucially, Hawthorn nabbed the likes of Josh Wash, Connor Macdonald, Cam Mackenzie, Josh Weddle and Nick Watson with high picks during those early years under Mitchell down the ladder and exposed the likes of Jai Newcombe and Will Day to bigger midfield roles.
Though a big part of Mitchell’s M.O. as a modern-day coach is his key role in list management and recruiting. It might well be his superpower, at least behind the scenes.
As much as Hawthorn has nailed most of its early draft picks in recent years, trade and free agency has arguably been the club’s most influential list management tool in helping it bounce.
It essentially fast-tracked and supercharged the rebuild.
Karl Amon, Lloyd Meek, Jack Ginnivan, Massimo D’Ambrosio, Gunston (2.0), Mabior Chol, Josh Battle and Tom Barrass were all brought in from rival clubs under Mitchell’s watch to form a huge core of the list. Importantly, none of those names came at a huge cost – both in terms of salary cap and trade assets – which can be as important as anything.
Hawthorn recruits Josh Battle and Tom Barrass (Photo by James Wiltshire/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
The financial element is particularly key, given the club will need plenty more funds to lock down its glut of rising stars in the coming years.
The coach is notorious for leading those pursuits of rival stars with a hands on approach to list management. To be a fly on the wall for some of those meetings and pitches!
Dixon believes those sells are more meaningful coming from the senior coach and would revolve around how players and their families would fit in and the road map to success — not just dollar signs.
“Sam’s part in list management is massive,” the 203-gamer said.
“It’s about: ‘This is where you fit in our organisation. We can show you a premiership and this is how we’re going to win it’. The dollars and contracts come second.
“Josh Battle had an opportunity to stay for more money at St Kilda but he didn’t. He saw there was a succession road map to win a premiership. Sam said things based on how they’re going to support family and the little things.
“Sam gets criticised for having meetings with players. Why get criticised for that? Why not reach out and get to know someone and their family?
“I think selling that they’re not just a football club but a big family is a key to Hawthorn being a destination club. Sam and Lyndall have got that right.
“Families that have entered the club under Sam now talk about it all the time, how open the club is for families and kids to come in. Like, you see them have Father’s Day and all the dads are at training.
“It’s a connection you don’t get at a lot of clubs.”
Hawks ready for flag push | 01:40
The Hawks have gone for plenty more stars, too, but missed on the likes of Zak Butters, Harley Reid and Oscar Allen. They also lost out on defensive duo Ben McKay and Esava Ratugolea, before landing Barrass and Battle, in a fortuitous twist of fate.
Then there’s Zach Merrett, who tried to get to Hawthorn last year but a deal couldn’t be reached. Twelve months later, the star Bombers midfielder should get his wish.
That’s the scary thing about these prelim final Hawks. They’re set to get even stronger next season with the additions of Merrett and Ben King in moves that will make them one of, if not the, flag favourite.
Gold Coast’s shock drop off crucially means Hawthorn will likely get King for free, presuming Gold Coast takes the Pick 7 free agency compensation, in another stroke of luck. You need some of it in this game.
Before then, the Hawks have a big final to worry about. For their sake, hopefully two.
If a qualifying final demolition of minor premier Fremantle in Perth was Mitchell’s finest hour as coach, ending Brisbane’s three-peat quest and putting Hawthorn into its first decider for over a decade would be his crowning moment … at least, for now.
“He’s pretty fanatical at anything he does, let alone coaching,” Dixon said of Mitchell’s desire to win another premiership as a coach.
“He’s one of the most competitive people you’ll ever meet. He’ll try and beat you to a carpark, then hang his hat on that he won. Or beat you to the front of the coffee queue It’s ridiculous! He wants to win in anything.
“You can see how passionate he is about maintaining a run with this group and winning flags, that’s a massive driver for him. That’s all he wants to do now.
“Sam often in footy gets what he wants. Four flags as a player and a Brownlow Medal, he achieved everything he could. Now as a coach, knowing Sam, he won’t want one, he’ll want many.”