If Mitch wins 1 premiership as coach (along with 1 as captain and 3 as a player), does that move him above Hodge with 3 premierships as captain (2 Norms to boot)?
Hodge is the popular choice here but for me I would already have Mitchell slightly ahead for overall contribution to the club (both absolute champions hard to split of course).
Both played in 4 flags with Mitch captaining 1 and Hodge captaining 3. Hodge probably ahead for leadership as a player.
However, Mitchell won 5 B&F's to Hodge's 2 and Mitchell was top 3 nearly every single season. Mitchell was definately the more consistent of the 2 (elite every season and close to every game whereas Hodge had elite season and elite games but also had just "ok/good" seasons and plenty more quiet games). Mitchell was also the harder worker/trainer of the 2 - setting standards (learnt from Crawford) in that regard whilst Hodge was a footy genius and ultra versatile but did battle for fitness at times.
Hodge is rightly lauded for his Norm Smiths but there is no doubt on overall records that Mitchell was still (marginally) the better finals player overall. Mitchell himself was runner up in the Norm twice, got first tag in every final bar 1 (when Hodge was held against Freo in 2010) and won Hawthorn's player of the finals in both 2014 and 2015 (with his record for most possies in a finals series in 2014 still standing). All up, Mitchell played 24 finals for Hawthorn and collected 29+ disposals in a staggering 17 of them, being best on or close to in nearly all of those. His only "quiet" finals were the result of a hard and dedicated tag (Ling, Crowley, etc). Hodge also played some incredible match winning finals (not just the 2 Grannies) but had his fair share of quiet finals (without attracting a tag).
On playing career, I lean Mitchell but it really is just a preference matter and I understand the preference for Hodge.
Post playing career, however, seperates them further for me. Mitchell was our reigning best and fairest winner and we asked him to go interstate. He wanted to stay but he agreed as he wanted the best for the club AND was keen to return in a coaching capacity (having been asked to get experience elsewhere first). Hoge retired and then came out of retirement to join Brisbane. Hodge is still in Brisbane and is now in the media (nothing wrong with any of that of course). Mitchell, however, returned to the club as soon as he could. He has already coached our VFL and identified a number of key players to improve our next phase. He is obviously also now coaching the club and doing everything he can (supposedly a workaholic) to try and deliver Hawthorn's next period of success. Different types of people obviously but it's clear Mitchell is still ultra driven to deliver Hawthorn success and is working hard at doing so in the most influential role he can.