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| Sam Mitchell | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Mitchell with Hawthorn in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Samuel Mitchell | ||
| Born | (1982-10-12)12 October 1982 (age 43) Box Hill, Victoria | ||
| Original team | Eastern Ranges (TAC Cup)/Box Hill Hawks | ||
| Draft | No. 36,2001 national draft | ||
| Debut | Round 5, 2002,Hawthorn vs.Richmond, atMelbourne Cricket Ground | ||
| Height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Weight | 84 kg (185 lb) | ||
| Position | Midfielder /defender | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2002–2016 | Hawthorn | 307 (67) | |
| 2017 | West Coast | 22(4) | |
| Total | 329 (71) | ||
| Representative team honours | |||
| Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
| 2008 | Victoria | 1 (0) | |
| International team honours | |||
| 2014–2015 | Australia | 2 (0) | |
| Coaching career3 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (W–L–D) | |
| 2021 | Box Hill (VFL) | 10 (8–2–0) | |
| 2022– | Hawthorn | 96 (47–49–0) | |
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2017. 3 Coaching statistics correct as of 2025. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Sources:AFL Tables,AustralianFootball.com | |||
Samuel Mitchell (born 12 October 1982) is anAustralian rules football coach and former player who is the current coach of theHawthorn Football Club in theAustralian Football League.
As a player, he played with the Hawthorn Football Club andWest Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League. Following his retirement in 2017, Mitchell remained with West Coast as an assistant coach in 2018. In 2019, Mitchell returned to Hawthorn as the midfield coach before becoming head of development and senior coach of Hawthorn'sVFLaffiliate team, theBox Hill Hawks in 2021.[1] In July 2021, Hawthorn appointed Mitchell as the next senior coach, taking over fromAlastair Clarkson at the end of the2021 season.[2]
A product ofMooroolbark, in Melbourne's outer eastern suburbs, Mitchell played in the under 18TAC Cup competition with theEastern Ranges. He was the club's best and fairest player in 1999 and 2000.[3] Disappointed at being overlooked in the2000 draft, Mitchell joined theBox Hill Hawks. After a couple of games in the reserves he gained promotion to the seniors and completed the season as the team's number one rover. He was a member of Box Hill's premiership side in 2001.
Mitchell was recruited to theHawthorn Football Club in the AFL in the2001 AFL draft with selection number 36. This selection was received by Hawthorn in the deal which sawTrent Croad andLuke McPharlin traded to Fremantle, while Hawthorn gained selections one (Luke Hodge), 20 (Daniel Elstone) and number 36 (Mitchell).[4][5]
The first half of his debut season in 2002 saw him playing with theBox Hill Hawks, until he broke into the Hawthorn side midway through the season. Following some unimpressive performances where he never managed more than 14 disposals, he was dropped for round 15 but was recalled after more eye-catching performances in round 19. He polled 31 votes in just 11 games to win the VFL'sbest and fairest award, theJ. J. Liston Trophy.[6][7]
In 2003 Mitchell continued to improve, winning the2003 AFL Rising Star award and becoming known as "the Extractor" (particularly by commentatorBrian Taylor) for his high amount ofclearances and ability to win the ball out of middle of the ground.[8][9]
A solid season followed in 2004, and in 2005 he played a "super" season until a foot injury sidelined him in round 15. For the2006 season, Mitchell was named vice-captain of Hawthorn and displayed stellar form throughout the season culminating in winning thePeter Crimmins Medal for Hawthorn's best and fairest.[10]
In 2007 he capped off another wonderful season by coming 3rd in the votes for the highest honour in Australian Football, theBrownlow Medal with 21 votes, 1 short of joint 2nd-place winners, North Melbourne's Brent Harvey and Brisbane's Simon Black who both polled 22 votes, and coming 8 votes behind winner of the 2007 Brownlow, Geelong'sJimmy Bartel.[11]
On 6 October 2007, during the Peter Crimmins Medal Event, he was announced as Hawthorn's next captain, taking over the reins from retiring captainRichie Vandenberg.[12][13]
Mitchell was ineligible for2008's Brownlow Medal following a tripping charge in the match againstMelbourne in round nine.[14]
On Saturday, 27 September, Mitchell captained the Hawks to the2008 premiership, the first in 17 years and the club's 10th, beating the reigning premiers,Geelong, by 26 points. Mitchell was reported for rough conduct against Geelong'sGary Ablett, Jr. in the second quarter, however the report was dismissed at the conclusion of the weekend.[15]
At the end of the 2010 season he handed the captaincy over toLuke Hodge, who was made captain of the2010 All-Australian team.[16][17]
Mitchell polled 30 votes in the2011 Brownlow Medal, but was ineligible to win after an incident in round 5 of the season; he had the second-most votes, behind Collingwood'sDane Swan. In 2012, Mitchell, along with Richmond'sTrent Cotchin, both finished tied for second place in the Brownlow toJobe Watson. On 12 January 2016 the World Anti-Doping Agency found Watson and another 33 Essendon players guilty of taking a prohibited substance during the 2012 AFL season, an AFL commission meeting in November 2016 determined the implications for the 2012 Brownlow Medal.[18] On 15 November 2016, Mitchell and Cotchin were both retrospectively awarded the medal, and, on 13 December 2016, both were formally presented with the Medals in a private ceremony in Melbourne.[19][20][21]
Mitchell was rewarded with thePeter Crimmins Medal in 2011, 2012 and 2016, and became a five-time best and fairest winner at Hawthorn, behind onlyLeigh Matthews, who won eight during his career.[22][23][24][25]
Mitchell became a triple premiership player with the Hawks in season 2014, and like a swathe of his teammates his year was interrupted by a serious injury. After overcoming a serious hamstring injury that saw him miss nine weeks, it meant that Mitchell played only 16 of a possible 25 games for the Hawks, his lowest tally since 2005 when he played 14 games. Still averaging over 28 disposals per game for the season mixing between midfield and half-back, Mitchell played a critical role in Hawthorn’s back-to-back premierships and was recognised as such by being named the side’s best player in the finals series by his coaches. Averaging 31.6 disposals, 9.0 marks, 6.3 tackles and 5.6 clearances across the three games, and was unlucky not to win the Norm Smith Medal in the Grand Final after 33 disposals, nine tackles, seven clearances and a goal assist.[26][27]
Mitchell became a four-time premiership player with the Hawks in season 2015, with some considering it to be Sam Mitchell’s best AFL season to date, in which he earned his third All-Australian selection, but finished just behindJosh Gibson andCyril Rioli in the Peter Crimmins Medal count. His disposal tally of 748 and average of 31.2 topped the AFL and represents his own peak. On 16 occasions, Mitchell tallied 30 or more disposals, and collected a record-breaking 137 disposals across four matches during the finals. Mitchell was again named the club’s Best Player in Finals. Polling 26 votes in the 2015 Brownlow Medal, Mitchell finished in the top three vote-getters for the third time in his career.[28][29]
Mitchell played a total of 307 games and kicked a total of 67 goals for Hawthorn from 2002 until 2016 and was a member of Hawthorn's2008,2013,2014 and2015 premiership teams.[30]
TheFothergill–Round–Mitchell Medal is aVictorian Football League (VFL) award that is presented to the most promising young talent in the VFL competition. It was originally named the Fothergill–Round Medal afterDes Fothergill andBarry Round, who at the time were the only two players to have won both theJ. J. Liston Trophy (or one of its predecessors) and theBrownlow Medal; it was renamed the Fothergill–Round–Mitchell Medal in 2018 to also recognise Sam Mitchell, the third player to achieve the feat.[31]
On 12 October 2016, news broke that Mitchell, at Hawthorn's request, was considering a move toWest Coast[32] and he was officially traded to West Coast two days later.[33]In August 2017, he announced he would retire from the AFL at the end of the 2017 season.[34] Sam Mitchell played the final game of his career in the semi-final, where he recorded two goals and twenty-eight disposals in a 67-point loss toGreater Western Sydney.[35] Mitchell played a total of 22 games and kicked a total of 4 goals for West Coast Eagles in 2017, in his only one season at the club.[36]
Shortly after his retirement from playing, Mitchell served as an assistant coach with theWest Coast Eagles in 2018 under senior coachAdam Simpson.[37] At the conclusion of the2018 AFL season, which saw West Coast win theAFL premiership in the2018 AFL Grand Final, Mitchell departed the West Coast Eagles.[38]
At the conclusion of the 2018 AFL season, Mitchell returned toHawthorn to serve as an assistant coach in the position of midfield coach under senior coach Alastair Clarkson before becoming head of development and senior coach of Hawthorn'sVFLaffiliate team, theBox Hill Hawks in 2021.[39][40]
On 6 July 2021, the Hawthorn Football Club announced that as part of a succession plan, Mitchell would succeedAlastair Clarkson as the senior coach of Hawthorn from 2023; until then, Mitchell will continue as Head of Development and as Box Hill Hawks senior coach.[41][42][43] However, on 30 July 2021, it was announced that Clarkson would leave Hawthorn at the conclusion of the 2021 AFL season, with Mitchell immediately succeeding him.[44][45][46][47]
In Mitchell's first season as senior coach of Hawthorn in the2022 season, The Hawks under Mitchell finished in thirteenth place (fifth-last) position on the ladder with eight wins and fourteen losses, therefore not making finals.[48] In the2023 season, the Hawks under Mitchell finished sixteenth (third-last) position on the ladder with seven wins andsixteen losses and therefore not making finals.[49]
In the2024 AFL season, the Hawks finished in 7th on the ladder, playing finals for the first time under Mitchell.[50]
On 13 July 2015, Mitchell was found guilty by the AFL's match review panel of having kneed the right thigh of Fremantle Dockers playerNathan Fyfe during the second quarter of the previous day's game and was fined $1000 for the offence. The media then brought to light other kneeing incidents involving Mitchell, those being the kneeing of Adelaide Crows captainTaylor Walker in the Round 12 game and the kneeing of Greater Western Sydney'sRyan Griffen in Round 6 of the 2015 season.[51][52] Another kneeing video incident surfaced of Mitchell kneeing North Melbourne defenderScott Thompson. The video shows Mitchell walking up to an unsuspecting Thompson and kneeing him in the left thigh.[53] Media reports from 2008 show that an opposition club, Brisbane, expressed concerns to the AFL about Sam Mitchell's kneeing of opponents.[54]
Mitchell is often cited as one of the most ambidextrous players in the AFL and much opinion is made about which is his preferred foot. Although some have claimed that he was originally a left-footer who switched to his right foot later in his junior career, Mitchell has stated that he has just always tried to use the appropriate foot for the situation. He did, however, switch to his left foot when he wanted to kick longer.[55] Similarly, his handpassing is equally good with either hand.[citation needed]
G | Goals | K | Kicks | D | Disposals | T | Tackles |
B | Behinds | H | Handballs | M | Marks | ||
# | Played in that season's premiership team | † | Led the league for the season | ± | Won that season's Brownlow Medal |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | |||||
| 2002 | Hawthorn | 28 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 53 | 48 | 101 | 19 | 29 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 5.9 | 5.3 | 11.2 | 2.1 | 3.2 | 1 |
| 2003 | Hawthorn | 28 | 21 | 5 | 2 | 199 | 174 | 373 | 54 | 89 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 9.5 | 8.3 | 17.8 | 2.6 | 4.2 | 9 |
| 2004 | Hawthorn | 5 | 20 | 5 | 5 | 210 | 162 | 372 | 47 | 60 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 10.5 | 8.1 | 18.6 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 2 |
| 2005 | Hawthorn | 5 | 14 | 2 | 4 | 186 | 157 | 343 | 62 | 49 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 13.3 | 11.2 | 24.5 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 9 |
| 2006 | Hawthorn | 5 | 22 | 3 | 6 | 327 | 265 | 592 | 119 | 71 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 14.9 | 12.0 | 26.9 | 5.4 | 3.2 | 13 |
| 2007 | Hawthorn | 5 | 23 | 2 | 3 | 262 | 331 | 593 | 120 | 96 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 11.4 | 14.4 | 25.8 | 5.2 | 4.2 | 21 |
| 2008# | Hawthorn | 5 | 24 | 4 | 2 | 313 | 354 | 667 | 90 | 88 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 13.0 | 14.8 | 27.8 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 15 |
| 2009 | Hawthorn | 5 | 22 | 7 | 3 | 346 | 308 | 654 | 111 | 66 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 15.7 | 14.0 | 29.7 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 13 |
| 2010 | Hawthorn | 5 | 19 | 5 | 4 | 282 | 242 | 524 | 76 | 90 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 14.8 | 12.7 | 27.6 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 15 |
| 2011 | Hawthorn | 5 | 23 | 12 | 8 | 404 | 297 | 701 | 94 | 99 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 17.6 | 12.9 | 30.5 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 30 |
| 2012 | Hawthorn | 5 | 24 | 7 | 7 | 345 | 308 | 653 | 84 | 133 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 14.4 | 12.8 | 27.2 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 26± |
| 2013# | Hawthorn | 5 | 24 | 5 | 5 | 371 | 302 | 673 | 83 | 78 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 15.5 | 12.6 | 28.0 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 16 |
| 2014# | Hawthorn | 5 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 228 | 221 | 449 | 78 | 55 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 14.3 | 13.8 | 28.1 | 4.9 | 3.4 | 8 |
| 2015# | Hawthorn | 5 | 24 | 6 | 3 | 374 | 374 | 748† | 98 | 92 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 15.6 | 15.6 | 31.2† | 4.1 | 3.8 | 26 |
| 2016 | Hawthorn | 5 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 343 | 309 | 652 | 80 | 79 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 15.6 | 14.0 | 29.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 16 |
| 2017 | West Coast | 1 | 22 | 4 | 4 | 260 | 278 | 538 | 71 | 64 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 13.0 | 13.9 | 26.9 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 7 |
| Career[56] | 329 | 71 | 63 | 4503 | 4130 | 8633 | 1286 | 1238 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 13.8 | 12.6 | 26.4 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 227 | ||
| Team | Year | Home and Away Season | Finals | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Drew | % | Position | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| HAW | 2022 | 8 | 14 | 0 | .364 | 13th out of 18 | — | — | — | — |
| HAW | 2023 | 7 | 16 | 0 | .304 | 16th out of 18 | — | — | — | — |
| HAW | 2024 | 14 | 9 | 0 | .609 | 7th out of 18 | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost toPort Adelaide inSemi Final |
| HAW | 2025 | 15 | 8 | 0 | .652 | 8th out of 18 | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost toGeelong inPreliminary Final |
| Total | 44 | 47 | 0 | .484 | 3 | 2 | .600 | |||
Team
Individual
Team
Fothergill–Round–Mitchell Medal
Mitchell married Lyndall Degenhardt in early November 2009. They have a son and twin daughters.[58][59]
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Coach:Clarkson | ||