{"id":442547,"date":"2026-01-28T08:40:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T08:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/442547\/"},"modified":"2026-01-28T08:40:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T08:40:10","slug":"no-fairytale-finish-as-brownlow-medallist-tom-mitchells-premiership-winning-afl-career-comes-to-sad-end","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/442547\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018No fairytale finish\u2019 as Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell\u2019s premiership-winning AFL career comes to sad end"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell has retired after an unsuccessful bid to extend his premiership-winning AFL<\/a> career with a fourth club.<\/p>\n

The 32-year-old was delisted by Collingwood at the end of last year following two difficult seasons since the 2023 grand final triumph.<\/p>\n

He spoke openly of his hope for another chance but Mitchell has now called time without a \u201cfairytale finish\u201d.<\/p>\n

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n

Mitchell, who began his career as a father-son product with his champion dad Barry\u2019s club Sydney, played 207 games for the Swans, Hawthorn and Collingwood.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to let go of something you put absolutely everything into. My days playing in the AFL have come to an end, but what an amazing journey it was to live out my childhood dream,\u201d Mitchell wrote on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery footy story is different and unique. That\u2019s what makes it authentic to you. My career had some extreme highs and some devastating lows.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were the challenges. It didn\u2019t start the way I would\u2019ve liked, living life on the fringe. My career was later threatened by getting badly injured and breaking my leg in half at the top of my game. There was definitely no fairytale finish to my career either.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen there were the achievements. Going to the top of the mountain and winning a premiership is something I\u2019ll forever be grateful for. The individual accolades are amazing, but it\u2019s not so much about them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m more proud of the approach to never give up under any circumstance. Early starts, late finishes, and rarely a day off for the 14 years it lasted. That\u2019s what gives me peace, knowing that I honestly could not have given any more.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like to sincerely thank my family, friends, teammates, coaches, sponsors, and mentors, as well as everyone else who went on this journey with me. To enjoy the great moments together, but more importantly, to be there when times got tough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mitchell made headlines for several huge possession totals for Sydney\u2019s reserves side in 2014 before becoming an AFL regular the following year.<\/p>\n

After playing in the Swans\u2019 2016 grand final defeat he requested a trade to Hawthorn and continued his rise as one of the league\u2019s top ball-winners.<\/p>\n

A third-place finish in the 2017 Brownlow was followed by a four-vote victory in 2018 \u2014 but then a broken leg ruled him out for the entire 2019 season.<\/p>\n

\"MitchellMitchell claimed 28 votes to win the Brownlow in 2018, a year after finishing third in the count. Credit: Michael Willson\/AFL Media<\/p>\n

He was among the exits as Hawthorn continued rebuilding through 2022, landing on his feet at Collingwood as he played every game on his way to a breakthrough premiership in 2023.<\/p>\n

Mitchell was undone by injury in 2024 and struggled to break back into the team when fit before being delisted last October.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo the three amazing clubs I was fortunate enough to be a part of Sydney, Hawthorn and Collingwood \u2014 thank you for the incredible opportunities and the lifelong memories,\u201d Mitchell wrote on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe friendships made will last a lifetime and I\u2019ll cherish that.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks again to all who supported me over the years. I appreciate you all more than you will ever know. Titch.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hawthorn and Collingwood congratulated Mitchell on his career on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

Ex-Collingwood teammate Taylor Adams also paid tribute on Instagram.<\/p>\n

\u201cCongratulations on a great career,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cA pleasure to share the field with you. Enjoy retirement.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Much-loved champion joins Channel 7 for AFL Origin blockbuster<\/p>\n

3 min read<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Popular AFLW coach makes \u2018difficult\u2019 call to step away for family reasons<\/p>\n

2 min read<\/p>\n

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