Sam Mitchell Biography

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has spent the past week in New Zealand with a group of assistant coaches and star players ahead of the start of pre-season.

Free agent signing Josh Battle headed across the Tasman with the club's past two Peter Crimmins Medallists – Jai Newcombe and Will Day – along with Kade Simpson and David Mackay.

The group spent time inside the two most successful organisations in Super Rugby history, visiting the Crusaders in Christchurch and the Blues in Auckland.

They also met with coaches and officials at NRL franchise New Zealand Warriors while on the North Island.

New Zealand Cricket and Rowing New Zealand were also stops on the itinerary, with the Hawks searching for incremental gains after returning to September this year for the first time since 2018.

Sam Mitchell will coach Hawthorn until the end of 2027 after signing a fresh contract extension with the Hawks.

"The influence that Sam has had during his first three seasons as senior coach has been quite significant and we're incredibly excited about the direction of our club with him at the helm," Hawk CEO Ash Klein said.

"Having seen the growth and development across our entire football program under the tutelage of Sam, there is no better person suited to lead us as senior coach into 2025 and beyond."

The AFL fines Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley $20,000 for targeting Hawthorn forward Jack Ginnivan after the Power's thrilling semi-final win at Adelaide Oval.

Hinkley sparked backlash for taunting Ginnivan immediately after the game, leading to a furious reaction from Hawks captain James Sicily, coach Sam Mitchell, and a host of former Hawthorn players in the media.

Having issued the Power coach with a 'please explain', the AFL announced that the club has been fined $20,000 for for breaching AFL Rule 2.3(a), conduct unbecoming.

"We understand it is a passionate game with a lot at stake for all clubs, however Ken made a decision to engage with opposition players post-match - a decision he has since admitted was the wrong one," AFL General Counsel Stephen Meade said.

"Ken has acknowledged that his emotions got the better of him in the moment, however as a senior coach his actions fell well below what is expected by the AFL."

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell will spend this week in England with English Premier League club Tottenham as he embarks on his off-season.

Mitchell and Hawks assistant Adrian Hickmott will be with the club throughout this week, meeting with various staff members and different departments within the club as part of their professional growth.

Alastair Clarkson parts ways with Hawthorn, prematurely putting an end to the coaching succession plan to replace him with Sam Mitchell as head coach of the Hawks at the end of the 2022 season.

It is believed Clarkson will be paid out in full, an amount tallying more than $1 million for the 2022 season.

Hawthorn commits to a succession plan with four-time premiership player Sam Mitchell to take over from his four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson in 2023.

“At the end of last year, we made a decision to lay the foundations for the next wave of success at Hawthorn. That work has already begun, we are beginning to see glimmers of what the future Hawthorn side will look like, and I am committed to playing my part in continuing this work until the end of next season," Clarkson said.

“My philosophy has always been to give my assistant coaches the responsibilities and opportunities they need to achieve their career aspirations. Sam is on this journey and the period of transition between Sam and I provides further opportunity for him to develop as he prepares to step into the senior coach role.”

As part of a long-standing promise for winning the 2014 flag, Alastair Clarkson owes the five-man Hawthorn leadership group a trip to the Super Bowl.

Originally locked in for the following year, the trip was denied over what would've been perceived as a breach of the salary cap with the four-time premiership coach "gifting" his players.

And with each year that passes without the commitment being fulfilled, the reminders from captain Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell, Jordan Lewis, Josh Gibson and Jarryd Roughead get more intense.

"Every year in the lead-up to the Super Bowl I'm getting text messages from these five or six lads saying, 'Notice you haven't got an airline ticket booked for me this year'," Clarkson said.

"While it seems like a gesture that's a little bit over the top, it's quite sincere from my family's point of the view, as well as our club, just what contribution they made to the success of our footy club through that period of time."

Cyril Rioli has been confirmed as the last sporting champion to take the plunge as part of the Big Freeze at the 'G on Monday.

The four-time premiership Hawk and Norm Smith medallist was locked in to be the 14th slider during Collingwood's clash with Melbourne on Queen's Birthday.

Chris Judd, Dane Swan, Nick Riewoldt, Jobe Watson and Sam Mitchell are some of the other ex-AFL stars preparing for the slide into icy water.

Sam Mitchell is named as Hawthorn's midfield coach in 2019.

Living in Perth with a young family proved too difficult for Sam Mitchell, who explained his reasoning for returning to Hawthorn as an assistant coach on a three-year deal.

"It became apparent that with the heavy travel commitments and living in an isolated city away from our support network, was not conducive with a young family," Mitchell said.

"I spoke to West Coast mid-year. We worked together to ensure that this would not be a distraction for the players.

"I am glad we did, as finishing my two years at West Coast with a premiership was a special experience."

West Coast assistant coach Sam Mitchell remains fixed on a move home to Victoria at the end of the season despite reports the Eagles would hold him to the remaining two years of his contract.

"I've said to the players and the coach that I love them but I love my wife and my family more, so that's where my priority needs to be," Mitchell said.

"It's never been my intention to move out early but that has become a necessity.

"I've spoken to the football club about that, (West Coast football manager) Craig Vozzo and 'Simmo' (coach Adam Simpson) have been very supportive."

Sam Mitchell will be returning to Victoria in 2019 to continue his AFL assistant coaching career.

Having spent the past two seasons with West Coast – 2017 as a player in a team which reached a semi-final, and this year as an assistant coach – Mitchell has recently told key Eagles officials he will be leaving.

Hawthorn fans are set to finally say a proper farewell to retiring four-time premiership star Sam Mitchell at this year's Peter Crimmins Medal function.

Mitchell will see out the rest of his West Coast contract as an assistant coach, but will attend and be honoured at the Hawks' club champion night alongside fellow retirees Luke Hodge and Josh Gibson.

Sam Mitchell denies any suggestion he spat at or near Port Adelaide's Sam Gray during the third quarter of West Coast's thrilling elimination final win at Adelaide Oval.

The alleged incident occurred during the last minute of the third term of the epic clash.

Mitchell gave away a free kick after falling onto Gray's back on the wing and hunched over as the Power forward was face-down on the ground near his feet.

Mitchell spat as Gray slowly got to his feet but his saliva didn't make contact with the Port player.

The Eagles released a statement lashing media suggestions Mitchell deliberately spat at Gray.

"The West Coast Eagles and midfielder Sam Mitchell are extremely disappointed about media reports suggesting that the decorated veteran spat at or in the direction of Port Adelaide forward Sam Gray in the elimination final," the statement read.

"Both the club and Sam strongly refute any such suggestion or allegation."

Sam Mitchell says he is undecided on whether to extend his career to a second season in 2018 at the Eagles - his 17th in the AFL - after joining from Hawthorn at the end of 2017.

"After we win and I play well, I feel great and, 'yeah, I'm going to play next year'," Mitchell said.

"And then after a loss - or we went down into the Margaret River last week for a couple of days with the wife and she was having a nice glass of wine and I thought, 'maybe I should retire. I might be able to enjoy one with you'."

Sam Mitchell's hopes of facing his former side Hawthorn as an Eagle are over after failing to recover from an ankle injury.

"It wasn't probably even good enough to be able to convince the doctors about whether or not I could play," Michell said.

"I did a fitness test and got 10 per cent into it a realised it wasn't going to be good enough."

Sam Mitchell is in a race against time to face his former side Hawthorn.

Mitchell has been in intensive recovery since being collected just above his left ankle by Jack Redden's swinging leg.

"It's come good the last couple of days so fingers crossed," Mitchell said.

"It was pretty sore for the first 48 hours, so I was up most of the night trying to ice it and I couldn't put any weight on it.

"I was on crutches for a couple of days. Now I can weight-bear again and now I'm just trying to get the range of movement and get rid of a bit more of the swelling."

Kane Cornes has implored coaches to bring back tagging as an important weapon to nullify the opposition's most damaging players.

"Can we bring it back? What is going on? They're trying to make the tag extinct," Cornes told RSN927.

"I understand the team defence and if you tag someone, there's one less out of your team defence, but if I'm playing against West Coast and Sam Mitchell's running around having 38 (possessions), I'd rather him having low 20s than high 30s.

"I don't get why players don't pay more (attention) and coaches don't pay more attention to players like that who can probably be stopped.

"Some coaches will do it more than others, but it seems to not be the done thing at the moment."

Shannon Hurn will captain West Coast for a third straight year in 2017, while former Hawthorn skipper Sam Mitchell will provide support as a member of the leadership group.

Dynamic midfielder Luke Shuey has been elevated to co-vice captain alongside dual Coleman medallist Josh Kennedy.

Star duo Jeremy McGovern and Andrew Gaff have also been added to the leadership group with Eric Mackenzie, who was the club's best and fairest in 2014 before requiring a knee reconstruction early the following year, the only omission from last year's group.

Matt Priddis rounds out the seven-man group, which was decided by a player vote, before being ticked off by the football department and then the board.

"Shannon Hurn has been a terrific leader since his appointment as captain three years ago and he has great respect from his teammates," Eagles coach Adam Simpson said.

"Over the last couple of years Luke Shuey, Andrew Gaff and Jeremy McGovern have certainly grown within the group and it has been reflected in the player vote.

"Clearly Josh Kennedy and Matt Priddis have been outstanding leaders for a long time and to have someone of Sam Mitchell's calibre at our disposal will be invaluable."

West Coast coach Adam Simpson says Sam Mitchell's leadership as a veteran is already having an impact on the Eagles playing group.

"He has empathy for the player and he can educate, which, when you have a player like that who can extend your coaching ranks on-field, I think he complements our leaders really well," Simpson said.

Shane Crawford reveals that Sam Mitchell requested that he be part of his Brownlow Medal ceremony.

Crawford will present Mitchell with the 2012 Brownlow Medal.

"I said, absolutely," Crawford told SEN radio.

"The way I look at it, Sam Mitchell has been an unbelievable player. I think he has been an inspirational story. He was doubted early on, and was told he wasn't good enough in a lot of areas.

"To have the career he's had is quite incredible. I'm really looking forward to giving him his Brownlow Medal, which he deserves."

Sam Mitchell and Trent Cotchin officially become Brownlow medallists after retrospectively receiving the 2012 award in a unique ceremony attended by family and close friends in Melbourne.

Before a crowd of about 100 people, Mitchell was presented with his medal by 1999 winner and former Hawthorn teammate Shane Crawford.

Richmond skipper Cotchin was crowned with the game's highest individual honour by triple Brownlow medallist Ian Stewart.

"It's obviously different, something no one else has really been through, so Trent and I will share something unique for the rest of our lives," Mitchell said.

"I'll enjoy the moment. I've tried to be really humble in the whole thing, and obviously the decisions have been out of our hands so we just went with the flow," Cotchin said.

Trent Cotchin and Sam Mitchell will both be awarded the 2012 Brownlow Medal after a landmark ruling by the AFL Commission on Tuesday.

The pair finished equal second behind Jobe Watson in 2012, but will now receive medals after Watson last week said he would hand back his medal as a result of Essendon's supplements program.

"As the highest-placed eligible vote-getters, Sam Mitchell and Trent Cotchin were formally declared the joint winners of the 2012 Brownlow Medal," AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick said.

"Sam and Trent are deserving Brownlow Medallists for the quality of their play in 2012, and the Commission wishes to pass on the congratulations of the entire football community for their performances."

Trent Cotchin and Sam Mitchell accept the 2012 Brownlow Medal after the AFL Commission ruled they would be named joint winners.

"I accept the 2012 Brownlow Medal with mixed emotions. "This has been a difficult time for Jobe, but I have great respect for him, and the decision he made in very tough circumstances," Cotchin said.

"I'm honoured to be named a Brownlow medallist today but at the same time I feel enormous empathy for Jobe Watson and his family," Mitchell said.

West Coast recruit Sam Mitchell predicts his new club can challenge for the flag in 2017, and says he's committed to staying at the Eagles for the long term.

"If I thought this was a football club that didn't have success on the horizon, I wouldn't have made the move," Mitchell said.

"I'm really excited by the playing list and the football club and the ambition of the place.

"I think this is a club that can finish in the top four and do well in the finals."

Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson sends Hawthorn members an extensive video explaining why club greats Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis were traded.

"It's mainly got to do with our list profile. At some point in time tough decisions need to be made in terms of looking to the future as well," Clarkson said on why the pair were not offered longer deals.

Sam Mitchell officially joins West Coast in a trade with the Hawks along with picks No.54 and 72 in exchange for picks No.52, 70 and 88.

In a letter to Hawthorn members, Mitchell hoped fans would understand the reasons for his shock move.

"At 34, with a young family and perhaps my best footy behind me, this all makes sense and it opens doors in terms of my next dream to be a coach," he said.

"Some of you will be angry and think the club and I have made a big mistake which I understand but emotion aside, this is the right decision for myself and the football club."

Fremantle recruit Bradley Hill is looking forward to facing off against former Hawthorn premiership teammate Sam Mitchell in a Western Derby next season.

Hill completed his dream trade from Hawthorn to Fremantle, while Mitchell was traded to West Coast.

"(Playing against Mitchell) will be pretty cool actually," Hill said.

"Mitchell can sometimes get a little bit lippy. It will be awesome if we do play each other in a derby.

"I sent Mitch a message this morning, (given) he'd be in Perth and we can catch up, maybe.

"Obviously I've played a lot of footy alongside him."

Sam Mitchell appears set to join West Coast next season.

Mitchell could join the Eagles in 2017 on a one-year playing contract with a coaching component attached to his contract in the years after that.

The 34-year-old, who recently won his fifth best and fairest award at the Hawks, revealed it was coach Alastair Clarkson who put forward the option of joining the Eagles.

"I didn't go to the club and say I want to go to West Coast," Mitchell told SEN radio.

"Clarko came over and said, as a friend, 'Is that something you'd be interested in?'

"And you could have knocked me over with a feather to be honest."

After digesting the news, Mitchell spoke with his wife Lyndall about the possibility of the move and as a family they decided it was the right fit for them.

Mitchell has three young children – Smith, Scarlett and Emerson – and said he felt the time might be right to make the move.

Mitchell, who signed a new one-year deal to play at the Hawks next season in July, said the close bond between Clarkson and West Coast coach Adam Simpson played a big role in discussions.

"There's been some talk about this for two weeks, so the amount of people who have known about it with the behind the scenes going on at the club shows the respect between the two clubs.

"If this goes through, because there's no certainty it will, we look at it as a win for Hawthorn, because it frees up salary cap space.

"And then hopefully I can go over and help West Coast."

Sam Mitchell wins Hawthorn's best and fairest for a fifth time.

Mitchell passes Shane Crawford, Jason Dunstall and John Kennedy snr as four-time winners of the Peter Crimmins Medal and trails only Leigh Matthews, who was named club champion eight times.

He finished with 170 votes, ahead of Jordan Lewis (157) and Shaun Burgoyne (156).

"The last few years have obviously been something special but I think the next few years are going to be something new and something still pretty special," Mitchell said.

"If you look at the history of this football club, it's had success for the last 50-plus years, and I think that's going to continue."

Sam Mitchell says improving the Hawks' culture has been his proudest achievement as he prepares to join the 300-club on Sunday against Richmond at the MCG.

"We've been up for a little while now. When you go back to when Clarko first came and we completely changed the culture of the place, it took a long time and a lot of hard work," Mitchell said.

"When I leave, the legacy that we'll leave is an improved culture, a place that if my son ends up playing footy I'd be really proud if he came into a culture like what Hawthorn has now.

"That's a good place to leave it, whereas I maybe wouldn't have been able to say that when I first got here."

Sam Mitchell will play into a 16th season at Hawthorn after re-signing with the club until the end of 2017.

Mitchell's one-year contract extension was flagged last month, but finalised by the Hawks on Friday.

"It is exciting that I'm going around for another year," Mitchell told said.

"It feels like it's my sixth one-year deal in a row. I asked them for a 'three-yearer' but they knocked that on the head pretty quickly."

Caleb Daniel plays his best game for the Bulldogs after being assigned the role of curbing Hawk Sam Mitchell's influence.

In a finals-like atmosphere, Caleb picked up a career-high 29 possessions, while limiting Mitchell to a season-low 29 touches.

"I've looked up to Sam Mitchell for a fair chunk of my life because he's a pretty good footballer," Daniel said.

"I learnt just how smart he is with running patterns and how he distributes the ball.

"I've tried to model my ball use on him by being able to use both sides because he better than everyone with that.

"There's no area he can't kick it to as he kicked some crazy passes around the body, and he has exceptional vision."

At 33 years of age, Sam Mitchell says he has no plans to retire.

"I don't probably know how long I can play for - if I feel the way I feel now, then I can keep playing," Mitchell said.

"Most of us older guys, we know we're one bad injury away from it being the end.

"I'm going to keep playing for as long as I can - as long as I can contribute in a strong way."

Josh Gibson has entered rarified air at Hawthorn by joining legends Leigh Matthews and Jason Dunstall as the only Hawks to win multiple best and fairest awards in premiership seasons.

The versatile Hawks defender edged out runner-up Cyril Rioli for the 2015 award at Crown Palladium on Saturday night, two years after winning his first Peter Crimmins Medal.

He now stands aside the immortal Matthews (1971, '76 and '78) and goalkicking record holder Dunstall ('86 and '89) as a multiple club champion in premiership years.

Gibson polled 204 votes this season, 10 more than Rioli following the superstar small forward's career-best year.

Champion midfielder Sam Mitchell placed third with 192 votes after another dominant campaign, highlighted by a brilliant finals series.

Gibson said he was stunned to pip Rioli and Mitchell after their stellar seasons.

"These guys next to me tonight have had fantastic years, as have a lot of guys at the club," Gibson said.

"It's totally unexpected … I wasn't even thinking about this.

"To my teammates, I know it's an individual award, but you don't win these things unless you've got the support of the guys around you.

"Especially the brotherhood, my defenders, I love you blokes."

Sam Mitchell polls 26 votes to finish in the 2015 Brownlow Medal, moving ahead of Hawthorn champion Leigh Matthews to become the Hawks' greatest vote winner.

Mitchell laughed off an error that saw a merchandise promotion suggesting he had won the Brownlow Medal win accidentally published on the ShopAFL website ahead of the count's conclusion.

He had been alerted to the mistake midway through the count when AFL media manager Patrick Keane sent a tweet to apologise for the human error.

Mitchell joked that his wife, Lyndall, suggested he should have snapped up the memorabilia – a "Sam Mitchell 2015 Brownlow Medallist Signed Guernsey" – while it was available.

"My wife had a little laugh at my expense," Mitchell said.

"She said, 'You should have bought one. It's the only way you're going to get one of those'."

Luke Hodge says he can't understand why Sam Mitchell still doesn't get the credit he deserves outside of Hawthorn's four walls.

"If you look at someone who has played the majority in midfield for his whole career, he's into his 14th year now and for someone to get bashed from pillar to post, continually get up, he doesn't miss many games, he's durable," Hodge said.

"If the ball's there to be won, he's going to put his head in the hole to win it. He does get hit an awful lot and keeps getting back up."

As part of his role as a commentator for Channel Seven, Wayne Carey says Sam Mitchell would struggle to get a game at any other club besides Hawthorn.

"I think he's an absolute champion, but if you're in a lesser team, a team that's not winning, you're expected to put pressure on and his pace doesn't allow him to do it," Carey said.

"In any other team his pace would be a concern."

Mitchell, however, shrugged off Carey's comments.

"What can you say? He's a media person, he's paid to have an opinion and if that's his opinion, that's fine," Mitchell said.

"I will work on my speed, I suppose."

Sam Mitchell concedes he must stop lifting his knee to protect himself from oncoming opponents after copping a fine from the Match Review Panel.

Mitchell accepted a $1500 fine for raising his knee and 'corking' Nat Fyfe during Hawthorn's thumping 72-point win over Fremantle.

It was the second time this year that the Hawks veteran has come under scrutiny for raising his knee, after he made contact with Crow Taylor Walker in round 12.

Mitchell was cleared by the MRP after the Walker incident, which later forced the Adelaide captain to be substituted out of the match.

But he said industry feedback from the Fyfe clash indicated he had to change his approach.

"I looked at the vision that the MRP look at and I can understand why it's not a good look and it's not a good thing for the game," Mitchell said.

"Although it's not my intention in that situation to hurt the other person – it's purely just to protect myself – I guess the game has given me the feedback that I need to change the way I go about doing that.

"I'll work on some techniques over the coming weeks and do it differently. But it's just an instinct thing that I've done for a long period and something that I now need to change.

"I have to do it differently, I need to find a new way to protect myself and get out of that habit, if you like, of putting my knee up. I need to turn to the side or whatever."

Nat Fyfe is sent to the bench with a corked thigh after being collided into by a raised knee from Hawk Sam Mitchell.

The incident raised the eyebrow of Adelaide's Taylor Walker who suffered a similar fate following a collision with Mitchell earlier in the year.

"you wouldn't believe it.. Lightning strikes twice!!!" Walker tweeted.

Sam Mitchell escapes penalty for his 'needle jab' sledge to Essendon players but the AFL has warned that such actions will not be tolerated in the future.

"My message to Sam is pretty clear. He has got a great amount of respect in this game for what he has done over a number of years and to ask him [to consider] how does he wish to be viewed," AFL football operations boss Mark Evans said.

Sam Mitchell is seen provoking Essendon players during the third quarter of the Hawks' 38-point victory over the Bombers.

As Mitchell was heading to the centre, he motioned as if he was injecting himself in his upper arm, directing his gesture at a group of Essendon players including Michael Hibberd and Cale Hooker in a blatant taunt at the club's ongoing anti-doping case.

Mitchell apologised after the match in a Fox Footy interview.

"It was probably inappropriate, it's not in good taste, it's not something you want to see … I shouldn't have done it," Mitchell said.

"If I could have my time again I wouldn't have done it."

Essendon coach James Hird told reporters after the match he had not seen footage of the incident but had heard about it, saying it could be a sign that people still believed media "propaganda" surrounding the club's controversial 2011-12 supplements program.

"I think if he's apologised for it then we'll let it go, but if it's something that's still out there I think it's naive and idiotic really for someone to do that, if he has done it," Hird said.

"But if he's apologised then I think we let it go. It's disappointing for our playing group that that's still happening but perhaps the propaganda that's been around about what's happened at our club maybe people have believed it."

Sam Mitchell will play on next season after agreeing to a new one-year deal with Hawthorn.

"It's good to be at one club for such a long time," Mitchell said.

"We've had success as a team and that always helps you enjoy your footy.

"When you're winning and you're building something, you find ways to enjoy your work and I've certainly been able to do that."

Sam Mitchell will fill one of the few remaining holes in his football CV when he lines up for Australia in next month's International Rules Test.

He is particularly looking forward to working with Australian assistant coaches Ross Lyon and Chris Scott, saying their involvement in this year's series was a significant factor in him signing on.

"I've played against both of those guys' teams many, many times and you're always coming up against something different," Mitchell said.

"I'm looking forward to getting to know those coaches firsthand and to see how they go about things.

"Being able to learn a little bit about the game from someone other than 'Clarko' (Alastair Clarkson) will be nice too."

Sam Mitchell will be sidelined for about two months after scans revealed a serious hamstring injury suffered during the Hawks' 145-point win over St Kilda.

"Sam unfortunately has got an intra-muscular hamstring tendon injury, which means he going to be out of action for about eight weeks," Hawks football manager Chris Fagan said.

"We just want to make sure that when he comes back he's fully fit, so unfortunately that's the case."

Tom Rockliff will miss the Lions clash against Geelong at the Gabba in round 2 after accepting a one-match ban for engaging in rough conduct against Hawthorn's Sam Mitchell.

Sam Mitchell has signed a one-year contract extension with Hawthorn that will see him play on until at least the end of 2015.

"We've got a great bunch of guys here, I've enjoyed being part of the footy club – I've been here for a long time, it's like a second home in a sense," Mitchell said.

Josh Gibson wins the Peter Crimmins Medal after being names Hawthorn's best and fairest for 2013.

Gibson polled 178 votes to finish 11 clear of Coleman medallist Jarryd Roughead while midfielder Sam Mitchell finished 10 votes further back in third and backman Ben Stratton was fourth.

"I'm very surprised but very humbled at the same time. There's been some fantastic winners and we've had some fantastic performances this year," Gibson said.

"So I'm honoured that the coaches thought I played that well this year, and I'm very proud to be the holder of the Peter Crimmins Medal."

Shaun Burgoyne says the Hawks are expecting Fremantle tagger Ryan Crowley to focus plenty of attention on teammate Sam Mitchell in their Grand Final encounter.

"That's just [Crowley's] game. He's made a career of tagging players and he's been very good at it," Burgoyne said.

"Mitch is pretty accustomed to those tactics, he's been tagged his entire career so I have no doubt he'll deal with it very well if it comes his way.

"It's just up to us guys to help him out and I have no doubt he'll have an influence on our game as well."

Sam Mitchell is heavily backed by punters to win this year's Brownlow Medal.

"Mitchell's a proven votegetter and often attracts big support with us, but this is biggest move we've ever seen for him," the TAB's Adam Hamilton said.

"He was $21 on Monday, into $17 by Tuesday and then the big crunch came last night and this morning where his odds have tumbled into $7."

Sam Mitchell says he would feel uneasy about being handed a retrospective Brownlow Medal if Jobe Watson was stripped of the award for using a banned substance.

"It's got nothing to do with me…there are so many things, I don't even understand it all – ASADA and WADA, and the AFL Commission," Mitchell said.

"There are so many people making decisions on something I've got absolutely no idea about. But if you're going to win a Brownlow, that's not the way you want to do it."

Hawthorn assistant coach Brett Ratten says Hawk midfield star Sam Mitchell can still improve on his outside game.

"All players can keep learning and it will be for me to challenge Sam in the way he plays and where's the next bit of growth for Sam Mitchell," Ratten said.

"Is it going to play away from the stoppages, some of those things I would like to challenge him on about keeping his longevity in the game.

"For a player of his skill and who hasn't had many injuries … we want him to start to do other things in the game."

Sam Mitchell joins Shane Crawford, Jason Dunstall and John Kennedy Snr as a four-time Hawthorn best and fairest winner after polling 172 votes to win the Peter Crimmins Medal.

Brad Sewell came second with 156 votes.

2008 premiership captain Sam Mitchell has offered current skipper Luke Hodge some advice heading into Saturday's Grand Final against the Swans.

"We had a good chat about it and [there's] nothing he won't take in his stride," Mitchell said.

"We talk about a lot of things, so obviously anything to be expected that he might not have expected, we've had a bit of a chat about, but it's not rocket science, we're not breaking information that's going to help him much.

"I just give him a little bit of help, but he doesn't need much."

Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich and Hawthorn star Sam Mitchell were notables to miss selection for the 2012 All-Australian side.

"Individual awards aren't what I play footy for, it's about the team success," Pavlich said.

"I'm sure externally there might be some comments about it, but I'm just looking forward to having a break and getting ready for next year."

Sam Mitchell becomes the latest Hawk to put pen to paper, inking a new one-year deal with the club.

It's nice to get an extra year on the contract," Mitchell said.

"I guess having a little bit more security, particularly with a family, is nice. There's not that pressure of the end of a contract coming up."

Sam Mitchell has become one of the AFL's elite onballers, but the Hawthorn star isn't about to rest on his laurels.

"I think defensively I've still got a fair bit of room for improvement," Mitchell said.

"That was the biggest step in my game last year. Defensively I improved as a player, and made myself a bit harder to play on from that point of view, from putting pressure on the opposition, and my tackle count went up.

"I'd like to continue to improve that part of my game, and being able to push forward and kick a couple more goals would also be nice."

Sam Mitchell beats Josh Gibson in Hawthorn's best and fairest count to win his third Peter Crimmins Medal.

"I think I was probably better defensively this year," Mitchell said.

"I worked pretty hard on that, particularly after the early part of the season where I got caught out a couple of times."

Sam Mitchell narrowly avoids polling the most votes for the 2011 Brownlow Medal after being ineligible for the award due to a reprimand in round 5.

Mitchell polled 30 votes and led for much of the count before Collingwood's Dane Swan was awarded the medal with 34 votes by the end of round 24

"Mitch has been outstanding for us this year, and you can see that by the number of votes he's polled tonight," teammate and Hawks captain Luke Hodge said on Channel 7 when Mitchell led after Round 20.

"I'd love for him to get the most votes because he does deserve it, but it would be a lot of pressure on him."

Collingwood midfielder Dane Swan has won the 2011 Brownlow Medal after polling a record 34 votes, four votes clear of Hawthorn's Sam Mitchell who was ineligible for the medal.

New Hawthorn captain Luke Hodge says ex-skipper Sam Mitchell has been a great help in his transition into his new role.

"The way Sammy left the guys last season, it has been a quite easy job to go into," Hodge said.

"I haven't had to do too much as yet. If it stays that way I'll be rapt. The last three years I've learnt a lot off Sammy. He has helped me out a fair bit. I've always got him there if I'm unsure of anything."

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson hopes that former skipper Sam Mitchell will become a mentor to the club's younger players in 2011.

"It's probably hard for Mitch to improve his game and I don't say that in an arrogant sense. He's been such a consistent performer for a long period of time now," Clarkson said on SEN radio.

"His on-field contribution will still be consistent but off field he'll take more of a mentoring role and not be so much the spokesman of the club like he's had to be in the last three years."

Luke Hodge will be Hawthorn's captain in 2011 after skipper Sam Mitchell relinquished the role.

"It is a great honour to be named captain of this proud club," Hodge said.

"Mitch has been a great captain, leading by example, and helped give our young group the leadership and stability we needed over the past three years.

"Sam has been a mentor to me and has helped me develop my leadership skills both on and off the field. I know I have his full support in my new role as captain and I am looking forward to leading the club in the 2011 season."

Sam Mitchell defends his coach Alastair Clarkson after an attack by Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett following losses to Port Adelaide and Sydney.

"No one puts more into their footy than Clarko and his staff. They're here at the crack of dawn every morning and they don't leave until it's dark," Mitchell said.

"They're working hard and the players are working hard. No one puts more into their footy, we wouldn't think, than our footy club."

Hawks captain Sam Mitchell is critical of the Etihad Stadium surface where many players were seen to slip over during Hawthorn's clash with St Kilda.

"I changed boots at halftime from a cleat to a long-stop and it was no better, I was still slipping over," Mitchell said.

"Some parts of the ground are OK, but other parts, you can hardly stand up. I think there is a patch where it was comical, right on the logo. I slipped over twice and Cyril (Rioli) did as well and I have never seen him slip over in my life. I hope we don't play a final there."

Hawthorn vice captain Luke Hodge says he works well with Sam Mitchell and is bemused by speculation he should take over the captaincy.

"We're not too worried about what people on the outside say. We know how we work best as a group," Hodge said.

"I'm just rapt to be the vice-captain to Sammy. If anything changed in the future well every player would love to be the captain of their club, but I'm fully in support of Sammy who is doing a fantastic job."

Hawthorn captain Sam Mitchell will undergo surgery and miss this week's crucial clash against Geelong with a broken hand.

"We had decided that inserting a plate was the best option as he would have missed this week's match anyway due to the fracture," Hawks football manager Mark Evans said.

"The plate will give him maximum strength around the fracture site and he is likely to only miss one to two weeks, depending on how it settles down."

Sam Mitchell says he understands why outsiders think Luke Hodge should be captain, admitting he sometimes feels that way too.

"I'm sure there are players in our group that think that 'Hodgey' should be captain," Mitchell said.

"Sometimes I think that too because it's just the way he is; he's such a fantastic leader and he does some exceptional things."

Hawthorn captain Sam Mitchell won the Peter Crimmins Medal as Hawthorn's best and fairest for season 2009 ahead of runner-up Cyril Rioli.

Trent Croad's future remains undertain due to a persistent and career-threatening foot injury.

"Obviously it takes a little bit of time to process that from both his point of view and from a medical point of view, what sort of surgery can be done and what it's going to do for his footy," Hawks skipper Sam Mitchell said.

"No decision has been made, but there's a lot of information that's been collated now and both he and the club are going to work out what the best thing to do is now."

One irate fan made sure Sam Mitchell understood his dismay at Hawthorn's goalless first half at Etihad Stadium last Saturday night against the Bulldogs.

"I had a cup of beer tipped on me at half-time," Mitchell said.

"It's pretty disappointing when that sort of thing happens, but people love going to the footy and that's their release.

"They go to work all day, every day and they want to front up on a Saturday night or Saturday afternoon and watch their team play and they're passionate about it. We love that about our fans and I can understand what they go through."

Hawks skipper Sam Mitchell says 'the little things' are to blame for Hawthorn's recent form slump and flailing premiership defence.

"I'd love to be able to say it's this one thing; it's just injury, or just game plan, or just rules. It's not any one thing - its a few little things that all add up," Mitchell said.

"You've got to be right on your game to be competitive in this competition.

"You add up one per cent here or one per cent there and it ends up you're a fair bit off."

Brian Lake, Daniel Kerr and Mitch Robinson will contest charges at the tribunal tonight.

The Dogs have accepted a ban for key forward Scott Welsh but decided to get backman Brian Lake available for Friday night's game against Richmond.

Hawthorn captain Sam Mitchell has virtually a one-game penalty hanging over him again despite being allowed to escape with a reprimand from a striking charge.

Sam Mitchell has described the club's Premiership defence so far as diabolical after the Hawks started the season with just 3 wins in the first 7 rounds.

"We've had a diabolical start to the season, you would say," Mitchell said.

"We have lost some games we thought we should have won and we have not played anywhere near our best.

"Even with some of the wins we have had, we have probably been lucky.

"We have hopefully got our best footy ahead of us and we've got some looking to do inside ourselves."

Hawthorn captain Sam Mitchell is still coming to terms with the death of former Hawk Rob Dickson.

"It's such a tough situation. Part of you is really feeling for his family and everyone involved and missing him yourself," Mitchell said.

"I went home and kissed my fiance on the head and told her I loved her. You hold on a bit tighter to your loved ones. It was a pretty tough situation we went through but I think the boys handled it pretty well."

Sam Mitchell not only expects another showdown in Friday night's rematch with his Grand Final shadow, Cameron Ling, he wants to play on him.

Rivals who pierce Hawthorn's rolling zone this year will then have to conquer Norm Smith medallist Luke Hodge's smothering tactics.

Hawks captain Sam Mitchell said yesterday the brilliant switch of Hodge to defence late last year would become a permanent move.

"He's a great swingman but he showed last year that defence is going to be his No. 1 role," Mitchell said.

"If we had three of him we would play him in every area. We have only got one, so he will still swing around a bit. But it's great having some really strong leadership back there."

Sam Mitchell signs a two-year contract extension with Hawthorn until the end of 2010.

"I'm 25, so that will take me to 28 and hopefully I'll get a couple more after that. I'll just keep playing until they tell me they don't want me," Mitchell said.