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If not this year, you feel like it\u2019s only a matter of time before Mitchell, the coach, helps raise another trophy for the brown and gold. <\/p>\n
His coaching journey is certainly more unique than most.<\/p>\n
SLIDING DOORS MOMENT AFTER PIES POACHING SCHEME<\/p>\n
Mitchell\u2019s predecessor, Alastair Clarkson, was the architect of that last Hawthorn golden era. <\/p>\n
Clarkson is one of the greatest coaches of all time and a football legend in every sense. He\u2019s the only coach that\u2019s won four premierships this century. <\/p>\n
But when Collingwood came calling for Mitchell, a Hawks assistant at the time, in 2021, it put Hawthorn on notice by saying: \u2018We want your man\u2019. <\/p>\n
And triggered a massive Hawthorn shake-up through its sensational coaching succession plan. <\/p>\n
Mitchell returned to Hawthorn in 2020 after two years at West Coast and was already viewed internally as a potential Clarkson successor.<\/p>\n
And so days after it emerged that Mitchell had pulled out of the Magpies\u2019 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. <\/p>\n
But that plan was eventually accelerated and Mitchell stepped into the top job the following season.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
Sam Mitchell and Alastair Clarkson (Photo by Ryan Pierse\/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
A shout out to Graham Wright that should give Blues fans enormous faith in their direction under the chief executive. <\/p>\n
Wright, Collingwood\u2019s footy boss at the time, tried to poach Mitchell. Tick. <\/p>\n
And that Magpies coaching search eventually landed the club its next premiership coach in Craig McRae. Tick. <\/p>\n
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\u2019d both surely go in the top five.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s panning out OK, too!<\/p>\n
\u201cIt almost put Hawthorn into overdrive,\u201d former Hawks sharpshooter Ben Dixon said to foxfooty.com.au of that 2021 sliding doors moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey knew a succession plan was in play, but it probably wasn\u2019t 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. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone 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\u2019s not a bottom feeder, he\u2019s an innovator.\u201d<\/p>\n
RAPID RISE AFTER EARLY QUESTIONS, CLARKO\u2019S \u2018CONNECTION\u2019 LEGACY<\/p>\n
Unlike Fraser and McRae, it wasn\u2019t as smooth sailing for Mitchell when he first took the reins at Hawthorn. <\/p>\n
They finished 13th in his first year in 2022 and shed a stack of experience that off-season including Tom Mitchell, Jaeger O\u2019Meara, Ben McEvoy, Liam Shiels and, ironically, Jack Gunston. <\/p>\n
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 \u2026 and the rebuild coach rarely survives.<\/p>\n
Hawthorn fell further down the ladder to a bottom three-finish in 2023 \u2013 albeit, with a solid enough seven wins.<\/p>\n
So, when the Hawks started the 2024 season 0-5, the club\u2019s worst start to a campaign in 54 years, there was rightfully questions on Mitchell and his future as coach. <\/p>\n
Hok-ball took over in 2024 (Photo by Jack Foley\/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
What followed was a remarkable 14-4 turnaround and stunning charge to the second week of finals in the revolution of \u2018Hokball\u2019 \u2014 the new-age Hawks.<\/p>\n
The Mitchell doubters were silenced. He\u2019d 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.<\/p>\n
It was the perfect example of the old, take one step backward to take two steps forward.<\/p>\n
Dixon never questioned his ex-teammate\u2019s ability to coach the game, given his footy IQ. But he did query Mitchell\u2019s emotional quotient (EQ) and ability to connect with players.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a highly intelligent individual, got some really good footy IQ. The only doubt for me was his EQ \u2014 his connection with players,\u201d Dixon said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was a very driven player that did things his way. You\u2019ve 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\u2019s beyond coaching, it\u2019s getting that level of depth and going so granular on an individual that you know what makes them work. <\/p>\n
\u201cI thought that\u2019s where he might struggle, knowing Sam for such a long time. The pop didn\u2019t surprise, it was how quickly he got there with the connection with players and how much they bought into what he was about. He\u2019s improved enormously in that area.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s why Dixon thinks Mitchell\u2019s experience coaching Box Hill in the VFL was critical.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the best experience he ever had to get a better understanding of individuals was coaching Box Hill,\u201d Dixon said.<\/p>\n
\u201cCoaching your own team at VFL level, you\u2019re coaching players that aren\u2019t going to play at the highest level. So, how do you get the best out of them? How do you connect with them?<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it was the best possible thing that could happen in his coaching career. That solidified he\u2019s really going to get the most out of these individuals and he\u2019s really improved that part of his coaching make-up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sam Mitchell coaching the Box Hill Hawks (Photo by Cameron Grimes\/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
Creating an environment for players to prosper in is arguably as important as anything.<\/p>\n
Dixon says Mitchell \u201cunderstands how important connection is and how there\u2019s a family that comes with each player\u201d \u2014 a philosophy the Hawthorn coach\u2019s wife, Lyndall, has bought into and helped contribute towards.<\/p>\n
A part of Mitchell\u2019s learnings in that area can be attributed to Clarkson, who laid the path of Hawthorn as a \u2018family club\u2019 in a key part of the four-time premiership coach\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll forever and a day back \u2018Clarko\u2019 in on what he taught,\u201d Dixon said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe always spoke about the pyramids of communication: \u2018How low can you get? Can you tell me how many kids you have? What are their names? Who\u2019s your grandfather? What\u2019s your dog\u2019s name?\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s how deep \u2018Clarko\u2019 got in terms of the connection. I\u2019ll never forget when my dad, mum and grandfather walked through and he\u2019d reel off all their names, he knew everyone. It\u2019s elite from a coach. <\/p>\n
\u201cSam had a big chunk of that and experienced a lot of that. \u2018Clarko\u2019 was very big on family, family first always. Sam would\u2019ve learnt that and how to get the best out of players and make them feel welcome. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s definitely a legacy \u2018Clarko\u2019 instilled at the club on all fronts.\u201d<\/p>\n
LIST OVERHAUL AND ROLE IN LIST MANAGEMENT<\/p>\n
The way Mitchell\u2019s Hawks popped in year three is remarkable when you consider the following.<\/p>\n
Tigers coach Adem Yze just came off his own third season at Punt Road in a three-win campaign \u2013 notwithstanding how badly crucified Richmond was by injuries.<\/p>\n
Andrew McQualter will enter his third season in chare of West Coast in 2027. <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
And North Melbourne has virtually been rebuilding for the last 10 years. <\/p>\n
Granted, some groundwork of Hawthorn\u2019s list regeneration had already started under Clarkson in the previous years.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
Though the Hawks\u2019 rapid turnaround was an outlier and happened ahead of time, as most rebuilds require far more time and patience.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also an endorsement of the program overseen by one of the sharpest footy brains in the business. <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Though a big part of Mitchell\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
As much as Hawthorn has nailed most of its early draft picks in recent years, trade and free agency has arguably been the club\u2019s most influential list management tool in helping it bounce.<\/p>\n
It essentially fast-tracked and supercharged the rebuild.<\/p>\n
Karl Amon, Lloyd Meek, Jack Ginnivan, Massimo D\u2019Ambrosio, Gunston (2.0), Mabior Chol, Josh Battle and Tom Barrass were all brought in from rival clubs under Mitchell\u2019s watch to form a huge core of the list. Importantly, none of those names came at a huge cost \u2013 both in terms of salary cap and trade assets \u2013 which can be as important as anything.<\/p>\n
Hawthorn recruits Josh Battle and Tom Barrass (Photo by James Wiltshire\/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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!<\/p>\n
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 \u2014 not just dollar signs. <\/p>\n
\u201cSam\u2019s part in list management is massive,\u201d the 203-gamer said. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about: \u2018This is where you fit in our organisation. We can show you a premiership and this is how we\u2019re going to win it\u2019. The dollars and contracts come second.<\/p>\n
\u201cJosh Battle had an opportunity to stay for more money at St Kilda but he didn\u2019t. He saw there was a succession road map to win a premiership. Sam said things based on how they\u2019re going to support family and the little things.<\/p>\n
\u201cSam gets criticised for having meetings with players. Why get criticised for that? Why not reach out and get to know someone and their family? <\/p>\n
\u201cI think selling that they\u2019re 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. <\/p>\n
\u201cFamilies 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\u2019s Day and all the dads are at training. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a connection you don\u2019t get at a lot of clubs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hawks ready for flag push | 01:40<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Then there\u2019s Zach Merrett, who tried to get to Hawthorn last year but a deal couldn\u2019t be reached. Twelve months later, the star Bombers midfielder should get his wish.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the scary thing about these prelim final Hawks. They\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n
Gold Coast\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Before then, the Hawks have a big final to worry about. For their sake, hopefully two. <\/p>\n
If a qualifying final demolition of minor premier Fremantle in Perth was Mitchell\u2019s finest hour as coach, ending Brisbane\u2019s three-peat quest and putting Hawthorn into its first decider for over a decade would be his crowning moment … at least, for now. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s pretty fanatical at anything he does, let alone coaching,\u201d Dixon said of Mitchell\u2019s desire to win another premiership as a coach.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s one of the most competitive people you\u2019ll ever meet. He\u2019ll 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\u2019s ridiculous! He wants to win in anything. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou can see how passionate he is about maintaining a run with this group and winning flags, that\u2019s a massive driver for him. That\u2019s all he wants to do now. <\/p>\n
\u201cSam 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\u2019t want one, he\u2019ll want many.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As Collingwood set out to find Nathan Buckley\u2019s successor in mid-2021, interest in Sam Mitchell is one of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":897363,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[638,64,63,55,639,85],"class_list":["post-897362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-afl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/897362","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=897362"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/897362\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/897363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=897362"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=897362"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=897362"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}