Sam Mitchell (footballer)

Samuel Mitchell (born 12 October 1982) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Hawthorn Football Club and the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is currently serving as the head of development with the Hawthorn Football Club and head coach of Hawthorn's VFL affiliate team, the Box Hill Hawks.[1]

Sam Mitchell
Mitchell with West Coast in April 2018
Personal information
Full name Samuel Mitchell
Date of birth (1982-10-12) 12 October 1982
Place of birth Box Hill, Victoria
Original team(s) Eastern Ranges (TAC Cup)
Draft No. 36, 2001 national draft
Height 180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 84 kg (185 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder, defender
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2002–2016 Hawthorn 307 (67)
2017 West Coast 022 0(4)
Total 329 (71)
Representative team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
2008 Victoria 1 (0)
International team honours
2014–2015 Australia 2 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2017.
2 State and international statistics correct as of 2015.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Early life

A product of Mooroolbark, in Melbourne's outer eastern suburbs, Mitchell played in the under 18 TAC Cup competition with the Eastern Ranges. He was the club's best and fairest player in 1999 and 2000.[2] Disappointed at being overlooked in the 2000 draft, Mitchell joined the Box Hill Hawks. After a couple of games in the development squad 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.

AFL career

Hawthorn

Mitchell was recruited to the Hawthorn Football Club in the AFL in the 2001 AFL draft with selection number 36. This selection was received by Hawthorn in the deal which saw Trent Croad and Luke McPharlin traded to Fremantle, whilst Hawthorn gained selections one (Luke Hodge), 20 (Daniel Elstone) and number 36 (Mitchell).[3]

Debut season

The first half of his debut season in 2002 saw him playing with the Box 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's best and fairest award, the J. J. Liston Trophy.[4]

2003–2007
Mitchell in September 2007

In 2003 Mitchell continued to improve, winning the 2003 AFL Rising Star award and becoming known as "the Extractor" (particularly by commentator Brian Taylor) for his high amount of clearances and ability to win the ball out of middle of the ground.[5]

A solid season followed in 2004, and in 2005 he played a "super" season until a foot injury sidelined him in round 15. For the 2006 season, Mitchell was named vice-captain of Hawthorn and displayed stellar form throughout the season culminating in winning the Peter Crimmins Medal for Hawthorn's best and fairest.

In 2007 he capped off another wonderful season by coming 3rd in the votes for the highest honour in Australian Football, the Brownlow 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's Jimmy Bartel.

On 6 October 2007, during the Peter Crimmins Medal Event, he was announced as Hawthorn's next captain, taking over the reins from retiring captain Richie Vandenberg.[6]

2008–2010: club captain

Mitchell was ineligible for 2008's Brownlow Medal following a tripping charge in the match against Melbourne in round nine.

On Saturday, 27 September, Mitchell captained the Hawks to the 2008 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's Gary Ablett, Jr. in the second quarter, however the report was dismissed at the conclusion of the weekend.

At the end of the 2010 season he handed the captaincy over to Luke Hodge, who was made captain of the 2010 All-Australian team.[7]

2011–2016

Mitchell polled 30 votes in the 2011 Brownlow Medal, but was ineligible to win after an incident in round 5 of the season; he had the second-most votes, behind Collingwood's Dane Swan. In 2012, Mitchell, along with Richmond's Trent Cotchin, both finished tied for second place in the Brownlow to Jobe 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.[8] 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.[9][10]

Mitchell was rewarded with the Peter Crimmins Medal in 2011, 2012 and 2016, and became a five-time best and fairest winner at Hawthorn, behind only Leigh Matthews who won eight during his career.[11][12][13] On 12 October 2016, news broke that Mitchell, at Hawthorn's request, was considering a move to West Coast[14] and he was officially traded to West Coast two days later.[15]

West Coast

In October 2016, Mitchell was traded to the West Coast Eagles.[16] In August 2017, he announced he would retire from the AFL at the end of the 2017 season.[17] 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 to Greater Western Sydney.

Coaching

Shortly after his retirement from playing, Mitchell served as an assistant coach with the West Coast Eagles in 2018. At the conclusion of the 2018 AFL season, which saw West Coast win the AFL premiership, Mitchell returned to Hawthorn to serve as an assistant coach.[18]

Kneeing controversy

On 13 July 2015, Mitchell was found guilty by the AFL's match review panel of having kneed the right thigh of Fremantle Dockers player Nathan 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 captain Taylor Walker in the round 12 game and the kneeing of Greater Western Sydney's Ryan Griffen in round 6 of the 2015 season.[19][20] Another kneeing video incident surfaced of Mitchell kneeing North Melbourne defender Scott Thompson. The video shows Mitchell walking up to an unsuspecting Thompson and kneeing him in the left thigh.[21] Media reports from 2008 show that an opposition club, Brisbane expressed concerns to the AFL about Sam Mitchell's kneeing of opponents.[22]

Playing style

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 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 does however switch to his left foot when he wants to kick longer.[23] Similarly, his handpassing is equally good with either hand.

Statistics
[24]
Significant statistics
‡ Led the league after finals only
# Played in that season's premiership team
± Won that season's Brownlow Medal
Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles
AFL playing statistics
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2002Hawthorn28 911534810119290.10.15.95.311.22.13.21
2003Hawthorn28 215219917437354890.20.19.58.317.82.64.29
2004Hawthorn5 205521016237247600.30.310.58.118.62.43.02
2005Hawthorn5 142418615734362490.10.313.311.224.54.43.59
2006Hawthorn5 2236327265592119710.10.314.912.026.95.43.213
2007Hawthorn5 2323262331593120960.10.111.414.425.85.24.221
2008#Hawthorn5 244231335466790880.20.113.014.827.83.83.715
2009Hawthorn5 2273346308654111660.30.115.714.029.75.03.013
2010Hawthorn5 195428224252476900.30.214.812.727.64.04.715
2011Hawthorn5 2312840429770194990.50.317.612.930.54.14.330
2012Hawthorn5 2477345308653841330.30.314.412.827.23.55.526±
2013#Hawthorn5 245537130267383780.20.215.512.628.03.53.316
2014#Hawthorn5 163322822144978550.20.214.313.828.14.93.48
2015#Hawthorn5 2463374374748‡98920.30.115.615.631.24.13.826
2016Hawthorn5 220334330965280790.00.115.614.029.63.63.616
2017West Coast1 224426027853871640.10.213.013.926.93.63.27
Career 3297163450341308633128612380.20.213.812.626.43.93.8227

Honours and achievements

Team

Individual

Mitchell polled a total of 227 Brownlow Medal votes in his career,[25] placing him third behind Gary Ablett Jr. and Gary Dempsey for the all-time highest number of career votes.[26]

Personal life

Mitchell married Lyndall Degenhardt in early November 2009. They have a son and twin daughters.[27][28]

References
  1. SEN (19 October 2018). "Sam Mitchell returns to Hawthorn as an assistant coach". Seven News. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  2. "Eastern Ranges - TAC Cup - SportsTG". SportsTG.
  3. McFarlane, Glenn (25 September 2013). "It was the trade that made Hawthorn and Fremantle the teams they are today". Herald Sun.
  4. Oldham, Gordon (17 September 2002). "Box Hill midfielder wins Liston Medal".
  5. Brereton, Dermott (6 September 2003). "Mitchell, the Extractor, pulling out all the stops".
  6. "Mitchell to captain Hawks". foxsports.com.au.
  7. "Hawthorn captain Luke Hodge will ask Sam Mitchell for leadership advice". news.com.au.
  8. "AFL asked 2012 Brownlow Medal runners-up Sam Mitchell, Trent Cotchin to present cases for inheriting Jobe Watson's award". Fox Sports (Australia). News Corp Australia. 12 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  9. Browne, Ashley (15 November 2016). "Trent Cotchin and Sam Mitchell awarded 2012 Brownlow Medal". AFL.com.au. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  10. King, Travis (13 December 2016). "Mitchell, Cotchin share 'something unique' in medal handover". AFL.com.au. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  11. Warner, Michael (9 October 2011). "Sam Mitchell wins Hawthorn's best and fairest". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  12. Hayes, Mark (9 October 2012). "Midfielder Sam Mitchell wins the Hawthorn best and fairest, his fourth Peter Crimmins Medal". Fox Sports (Australia). News Corp Australia. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  13. Navaratnam, Dinny (8 October 2016). "Sam Mitchell second only to 'Lethal' after fifth Hawks B&F". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  14. "Hawthorn's Sam Mitchell flags possible West Coast move in shock AFL trade". ABC Online. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 12 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  15. "Sam Mitchell now a West Coast Eagles player after trade deal struck with Hawthorn". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. 14 October 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  16. Malcolm, Alex (14 October 2016). "Hawks champion Sam Mitchell officially an Eagle". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  17. Kagi, Jacob (2 August 2017). "Sam Mitchell announces AFL retirement to become West Coast Eagles assistant coach". ABC Online. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  18. "Sam Mitchell". Hawthorn Football Club. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  19. Robinson, Mark (13 July 2015). "Mitchell: Not my intention to hurt Fyfe". Herald Sun.
  20. Beveridge, Riley (15 July 2015). "VIDEO: Sam Mitchell knees Ryan Griffen off the ball in third incident, revealed on Fox Footy's AFL 360". Fox Sports.
  21. "Sneaky Sam throws out a knee". 4 July 2014.
  22. Sheahan, Mike (1 May 2008). "Hawks under 'corking' scrutiny". Herald Sun.
  23. Baldwin, Adam (11 June 2015). "Sam Mitchell uses his non-preferred foot more than any other AFL footballer". Fox Sports.
  24. "Sam Mitchell". AFL Tables. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  25. "Brownlow Medal Career Totals". Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  26. Laughton, Max. "Brownlow Medal stats: Patrick Dangerfield sets record, Sam Mitchell and Gary Ablett the greatest pollers ever". foxsports.com.au. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  27. Butler, Steve (13 May 2017). "Sam plays up value of mum". The West Australian. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  28. Langmaid, Aaron (5 May 2011). "Star Hawk's baby anguish". Herald Sun. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
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