Toast Sam Mitchell 300 Games

[hawkermitch]

What a great story, Sammy plays his 300th Games next weekend at home at the MCG.
Most know his story - Overlooked in his draft year, played an awesome year at Box Hill
until he get drafted in the infamous super draft 2001.
Rising Star winner, captain of 2008 GF, played in the three peat, multiple B&F,
International Rules, and AA.

A delight to watch, a real footballer that many outside the club overlook.
A great extractor, dual sided player, share your fave moments of Mitch's career here.

 

[MrPremiership]

Elite.

One of the best players EVER to play at Hawthorn.

 

[detox]

There's not really one moment that stands out with Mitch.

Just 15 years of extraction and target hitting.

Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

 

[GrumpyOldFart]

I had the privilege to meet Sammy and Hodgey in 2007 and remember being very impressed in the way they conducted themselves - very fine young men. How good it has been to watch them grow as men, both with young families now and marvel at their abilities on the footy field.

Have watched Sammy's career closely and admired his skill and decision making. There are none better than Sammy in my view. He is/has been an extraordinary player for the Hawks.

I started following Hawthorn in 1976 and have enjoyed a great ride, attended 10 GFs personally. So many champions but Mitch is my favourite. My 11yo models his game on Mitch.

After the 3-peat I decided to buy a Hawks jumper, despite being an old fart! I'm proud to wear it to every game I attend with #5 on my back.

Here's hoping he has another cracking game against the tigers in his 300th. A wonderful milestone for a genuine champion of the game and our Club.

My family and I will be there to cheer you on!

 

[Hodgey 15]

Hope the club produces a 300th guernsey for members to buy for the special occasion.

 

[jpzhawk]

300 games, 3 gazillion possessions, superstar, club legend, Sam Mitchell = Gun
Hope we smash the Tiges and win big for him.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Scott Thompson plays his 300th AFL game this weekend (39 games for Melbourne, it will be his 261st for Adelaide) and thus becomes the 75th player to reach 300 games.

Sam Mitchell will likely be the equal 76th player to reach this milestone (Jimmy Bartel plays his 299th game this weekend) when he runs out against Richmond Sunday week.

At Hawthorn, he will become the seventh player in the club's history to reach that particular milestone, behind Michael Tuck (426 games), Leigh Matthews (332 games), Shane Crawford (305 games), Chris Langford (303 games), Don Scott (302 games) and Kelvin Moore (300 games).

Given that the Hawks could play either 8, 9 or 10 games before this season is finished, Mitchell could end up behind only Tuck and Matthews by the season's end and could conceivably finish 2017 with as many games as (if not more than) Matthews for Hawthorn.

Tuck finished his career with 302 wins from 426 games (a remarkable statistic that will almost certainly never be matched). Matthews finished his career with 220 wins from 332 games; Crawford tasted victory 154 times in 305 games; Langford 205 wins in 303 games; Scott 187 wins in 302 games and Moore 201 wins from 300 games.

Mitchell sang the club song for the 185th time last night (from 299 games), which is a win percentage of 61.87%.

Michael Tuck achieved an extraordinary win percentage of 70.89%; Langford's win percentage 67.66%; Kelvin Moore's win percentage is 67%, Leigh Matthews 66.27%; Don Scott 61.92%; Mitchell's 61.87%; then Crawford 50.49%.

Of the six players currently with 300 or more games, plus Sam Mitchell, there is an extraordinary amount of silverware - Tuck, obviously won seven premierships in his career, Matthews won four, Langford four, Moore three, Don Scott three, and Crawford one. When Mitchell joins the Hawthorn 300 club, he will bring four premierships with him, so shared amongst the seven players will be 26 premierships.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Sam Mitchell is clearly Hawthorn royalty. He is on the leaderboards for a number of categories at Hawthorn. In 2015 (playing 24 games) he racked up 748 disposals for the season, at an average of 31.17 disposals per game, which meant he finished just 17 short of Terry Wallace's club record of 765 disposals in a season (set back in 1983).

Mitchell fills second, third, fourth, seventh, 10th and 11th on that particular leaderboard (cumulative disposals in a season).

Mitchell is first, second, third, sixth, seventh, 10th, 12th and 19th for most handballs in a season. In 2015, from 24 games he had 374 handballs (averaged 15.58 handballs per game).

Mitchell isn't renowned as a tackler but he racked up the third most tackles for the club in a season back in 2012 (133) - Liam Shiels heads that particular statistic with 162 tackles in 2015 (from 22 games - he would have broken that record this season but for his month-long absence with the hamstring injury).

Unsurprisingly, Mitchell holds the club's record for most clearances in a season, with 154 (back in 2012). On that leaderboard, Mitchell is first, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, 10th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 18th.

Mitchell's name is also prominent on the leaderboard for most contested possessions at the club - he had 300 contested possessions in 24 games in 2012, and he is first, third, fourth, eighth, ninth, 10th, 12th and 15th on that leaderboard.

Mitchell dominates the leaderboard for most uncontested possessions in a season - last year he had 488 uncontested possessions, which was more than 30 possessions more than his previous best effort of 456 back in 2009.

Sam Mitchell is a joint record-holder for most possessions by a Hawk in a game, with 44 (earlier this year against St Kilda). In that game, he set a club record for most handballs in a game (31).

Somewhat surprisingly, Mitchell does not hold the record for most clearances by a Hawk in a game - Paul Salmon holds that record with 22 in Hawthorn's two point win over North Melbourne in round 13, 1998 (Hawks won 17.12.114 to 17.10.112) - Salmon had 32 possessions and 35 hit-outs that afternoon.

Mitchell's personal best is 18 clearances in a game, which he achieved way back in 2005 (round 10, 2005) when the Hawks lost by 28 points to Collingwood.

 

[Hawkk]

Surely we can get a decent crowd to this game for a future HOF legend of the club.

This occasion deserves a 60k crowd

 

[Gralin]

Surely we can get a decent crowd to this game to future HOF legend of the club.

This occasion deserves a 60k crowd

Home game at the G should be able to get a decent crowd, hopefully the weather plays ball

 

[kirbatron]

An absolute Marvel.

One of our best ever indeed.

 

[Bedi]

There's not really one moment that stands out with Mitch.

Just 15 years of extraction and target hitting.

Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

that tackle was prob his most famous highlight

 

[OnTheRocks]

Too short, too slow, too old, too bloody good!
Congrats Sammy, I look forward to you receiving your legitimate Brownlow or 2 before your 5th flag.

 

[Max Powers]

Congrats to Mitch.
Complete superstar and one of the all time Hawthorn greats.

 

[JoondalupJ]

What a great story, Sammy plays his 300th Games next weekend at home at the MCG.
Most know his story - Overlooked in his draft year, played an awesome year at Box Hill
until he get drafted in the infamous super draft 2001.
Rising Star winner, captain of 2008 GF, played in the three peat, multiple B&F,
International Rules, and AA.

A delight to watch, a real footballer that many outside the club overlook.
A great extractor, dual sided player, share your fave moments of Mitch's career here.

The modern day Slammin Sam, what a player , 300 games, magnificent.

Congratulation Sam Mitchell a brown and gold blooded miracle man.

For me the way this bloke turns his opponents inside out , he can turn any which way and kick either side of his body, what an era, what players , what a champion Sam is. My memory was him not letting Abblett in 2008 get near the ball without a good belting to know he'd been near it, then he was pure muscle , skill and champion in the making.

He quite flabbergasts me, even now when he is being bashed around the ground , nothing phases Sam. Keep a lid on it mate , for a massive number 300.

What a bloody coaching board we have too. Wow!

 

[Hawkthorn33]

Mr Reliable, no words can express how much he means to this club. I feel privileged to be able to call him one of ours.

Legend does not do him justice

 

[The Cryptkeeper]

The day that this great man pulls up stumps you will find me in the foetal position at the steps of Waverley Park inconsolable.

 

[Cleavy]

I swear the lazy Ch7 graphic said 298 games last night, as they were interviewing him about his upcoming 300th.

 

[filly]

I noticed that as well,typical of channel 7.

 

[benfranklin]

Career Brownlow Votes:
1. Gary Dempsey 246
2. Robert Harvey 215
3. Gary Ablett 214
4. Chris Judd 210
5. Sam Mitchell 204

I haven't watched enough of the Suns to know how Ablett will poll this year, but he is now out again the shoulder injury - Sammy may well be number 2 at year's end...

 

[HODGEYROAD]

What an absolute Champion & we must make sure we win for this mans 300th.

 

[Agent Smith]

Mighty Sam Mitchell, the little ball of muscle (his shoulders are twice as broad as any other player his size). Sees ball, gets ball. Doesn't like to lose... well, that's an understatement. Highly skilled on both sides of his body. Pinpoint accurate on both hands and both feet. Extraordinary talent.

Or is he? Overlooked in the national draft was rookied before being upgraded to the senior list by simply working his arse off. Copied the hard training regime Crawf set himself, apparently. He wasn't naturally gifted on both sides of his body, he just worked at it. And worked at it. And worked at it. By all rights he should be highly lauded by the entire AFL given all this, but alas his greatness will only truly be recognised outside the club only after he retires.

However, we all know how great he is. Well played, Mitch. Keep hating to lose.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Mitchell was not a rookie. Selected pick 36 in the 2001 national draft after being overlooked completely in the 2000 draft.

 

[Gralin]

Mighty Sam Mitchell, the little ball of muscle (his shoulders are twice as broad as any other player his size). Sees ball, gets ball. Doesn't like to lose... well, that's an understatement. Highly skilled on both sides of his body. Pinpoint accurate on both hands and both feet. Extraordinary talent.

Or is he? Overlooked in the national draft was rookied before being upgraded to the senior list by simply working his arse off. Copied the hard training regime Crawf set himself, apparently. He wasn't naturally gifted on both sides of his body, he just worked at it. And worked at it. And worked at it. By all rights he should be highly lauded by the entire AFL given all this, but alas his greatness will only truly be recognised outside the club only after he retires.

However, we all know how great he is. Well played, Mitch. Keep hating to lose.

I know you've only played with him for around 110 games for three premierships so you don't know him that well but yeah not a rookie

 

[Steven Tyler]

People still think Mitchell was a rookie?
FFS!