Sam Mitchell - 300 Games

[StillAtLarge]

Call me an old-fashioned kind of footy fan, but hair pulling, and punching in the throat, aren't the first words that come to mind when someone says the word "champion" to me. If we're going to sing Mitchell's numerous brilliant footballing attributes on the event of his 300-game milestone, it's good to know exactly what his track record comprises.

Guess that criteria rules out tony lockett as a champion as well as goodes, hall.....hell even mcveigh whacked one of our blokes well behind play last year! Pretty much everyone that's played over 200 games has done something dirty off the ball. I guarantee you Mitch has worn at least 10x the punishment he's dished out.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Guess that criteria rules out tony lockett as a champion as well as goodes, hall.....hell even mcveigh whacked one of our blokes well behind play last year! Pretty much everyone that's played over 200 games has done something dirty off the ball. I guarantee you Mitch has worn at least 10x the punishment he's dished out.

Fine. Never said everyone else is spotless.

Re the punch in the throat, there's every possibility of course that Mitchell's just not much of a boxer, and simply missed whatever part of Hannebery he was trying to hit.

(Say what you want about Hall's hit on Staker - which for the record, I condemned absolutely - he certainly hit his target).

Goodes I think, if he had a case to answer, was mostly guilty of going in recklessly, and I certainly never saw any cheap shots behind play.

But hair-pulling? Not a real good look for a champion.

 

[captain cotch 9]

There's no reason why he can't play 350+

 

[Off The Couch]

There's no reason why he can't play 350+

Well we all know that he definitely won't play 400 that's for sure

 

[Rioli magic]

But hair-pulling? Not a real good look for a champion.

Scraping the bottom of the barrel here....

Pathetic.

 

[MinerBoy]

Hair pulling and throat chops now. Lol.

When will this reign of terror be ended?

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

2010 pulls Richmond's Ben Nason's hair.

2016 punches Sydney's Dan Hannebery in the throat.

Pure class.

Salinity levels rising.

 

[captain cotch 9]

Well we all know that he definitely won't play 400 that's for sure

I wouldn't see why not.
He is durable.

 

[Off The Couch]

I wouldn't see why not.
He is durable.

He said on radio yesterday that his wife told him "make the most of your 300 because you won't be playing to get to 400"

 

[Spook]

great player but a cheap shot artist and crowley destroyed him in the grand final

That's the biggest load of crap ever. You can beleive the media bull shit because you've never played the game, I recon. Go a have a look at the tackle count. Crowley 0 Mitchell 7, now go and look at the clearance count. That's right flog, have a look. Freo with Sandilands and so called great huge bodied midfield got flogged in clearances. Why? Because Mitchell adjusted his game and sucked the 1 dimensional Crowley in.
So I will explain it to you as you've obviously never played. So Mitchell is normally a receiver from a ruckman, but for the GF he became the tackler, so Sandialnds taps to a Freo mid, Mitchell tackles the Freo mid, Crowley with no idea just worries about Mitchell, ball comes out and what do Hawthorn have? They have a 2 on 1, that's right, Hawks then get the clearance because Crowley in only active in the game if Mitchell gets the ball. Mitchel has drawn Crowley in as a dead player, while still being active him self laying a tackle. Mitchel sacrificed his normal game for the benefit of the team who won. Clarkson speaks about this as well.

2014 Grand Final
Crowley 0 tackles, Mitchell 7 tackles
Hawthorn 42 clearances Freo 33
Hawthorn Premierships since Freos inception 4. Fremantle 0

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

great player but a cheap shot artist and crowley destroyed him in the grand final

What an odd game to single out considering he walked away from the ground with a premiership medal...

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

Fine. Never said everyone else is spotless.

Re the punch in the throat, there's every possibility of course that Mitchell's just not much of a boxer, and simply missed whatever part of Hannebery he was trying to hit.

So your contribution in a 300 game toast thread, was to focus on two incidents from the past 7 years... One of which you now concede was probably an accident...

Good work.

 

[Tucker1078]

Mitchell is the perfect example of a midfielder. This is how a A Grade midfielder plays and has the skills to back it up. Rarely caught rarely wastes a disposal.

 

[Billyc]

Best player of the last 5 years. A marvel who has utterly dominated finals footy like few others. Luke Hodge the only modern player who goes close in that regard.

Mitchell's 2015 finals series was as good as i've seen and the 2014 GF was his masterpiece (as great as Hodge was, Mitchell was BOG in that game). While finals footy is the only thing that really matters at Hawthorn, Mitchell has also been able to play at a consistently elite level, demonstrated by his 4 Peter Crimmins medals. By the end of this season he will have polled more Brownlow votes than any player in the game's history. That's a strong objective indicator of his standing in the game.

Campbell Brown described him this week as the toughest player he played with, citing his ability to play through injury and continue to dominate (which cannot be said of many modern greats). But his greatness goes beyond his toughness (and nobody can really deny he has a nasty streak that has made him unpopular with opposing fans). David Parkin described him as more influential than Greg Williams or Leigh Matthews (and he coached both of them). Mitchell is the smartest and most dedicated player i've seen. Everything he has achieved in footy has come through hard work from the moment he arrived at the club and followed Shane Crawford around like a bad smell. He still works on his game, tirelessly trying to get better. He has never been content to just stay still despite everything he's accomplished. Not many champions can honestly say that.

This recent myth of "why don't sides tag him" is ignorant garbage. Back in 2004-2006 as an inside midfielder he could be tagged. So he evolved his game, became capable of playing inside and outside and playing off half back. These days if an opponent is getting on top of him, he just changes roles and switches with Burgoyne or Hodge. Just further testament to his greatness.

It is the Clarkson way for individuals to go under the radar for the betterment of the team. Mitchell's career has been a reflection of this. He hasn't sought or received the media accolades of other 2001 draftees but his record stacks up against any of them and I expect he will be the last man standing. His selflessness was never more evident than the 2013 final where he sacrificed his own game to put himself and Crowley in the way of Fyfe and Mundy at stoppages to prevent them getting clearances on the burst. Some people looked at the stat sheet and thought he had a poor game. Those at Hawthorn know that his selflessness contributed significantly to the win (Buddy likewise in a decoy role that day).

Some players seek recognition and awards. Mitchell has only sought team success and premierships and won 4 of them (and hopefully more). He is a true Clarkson disciple and a great of the game.

 

[winty]

Well done Sam a fantastic achievement, I can remember watching you in a preseason game when you was first drafted in Tasmania, my son being a Hawks supporter took us along to a after game function where we got the chance to have a quick chat and we as a family have been a fan of yours ever since. Once again well done Sam. Ps Can you have a quiet one Sunday against my beloved Tigers

Unfortunately for you, the bloke doesn't know how to have a quiet day.

There are 3 certainties in life - death, taxes, and Sam Mitchell racking up damaging disposals at will. Guy seems to be getting better with age too.

 

[Harry Hawks]

Absolute legend

 

[WWSD]

BOG in his 300th game.

38 disposals (13 contested) - 9 marks - 9 clearances - 5 inside 50s - 5 rebound 50s - 84% disposal efficiency

Amazing to think that Gary Ablett and Chris Judd, two of the greatest players of the modern era, that Mitchell will have more Brownlow Medal votes then both of them at the end of the season.

Sam Mitchell won't be retiring anytime soon either. He never had any pace to begin with so it's not like he's slowing down.

He's aging like a fine wine.

 

[threesixpio]

Fine. Never said everyone else is spotless.

Re the punch in the throat, there's every possibility of course that Mitchell's just not much of a boxer, and simply missed whatever part of Hannebery he was trying to hit.

(Say what you want about Hall's hit on Staker - which for the record, I condemned absolutely - he certainly hit his target).

Goodes I think, if he had a case to answer, was mostly guilty of going in recklessly, and I certainly never saw any cheap shots behind play.

But hair-pulling? Not a real good look for a champion.

You're right. Not a champion...

 

[SSSSSS]

Another watch for the little master.

 

[00Stinger]

BOG in his 300th game.

38 disposals (13 contested) - 9 marks - 9 clearances - 5 inside 50s - 5 rebound 50s - 84% disposal efficiency

Amazing to think that Gary Ablett and Chris Judd, two of the greatest players of the modern era, that Mitchell will have more Brownlow Medal votes then both of them at the end of the season.

Sam Mitchell won't be retiring anytime soon either. He never had any pace to begin with so it's like he's slowing down.

He's aging like a fine wine.

He is a starm, no doubt.

Still think the inside 50 stat is a bullshit one

Sent from my SM-P555 using Tapatalk

 

[cryptor]

Terrific 300th game. Just keeps getting better and better. Absolute credit to him and his unrelenting motivation to improve.

Will get to 350 pretty easily as the rate he's going.

 

[The Cryptkeeper]

Call me an old-fashioned kind of footy fan, but hair pulling, and punching in the throat, aren't the first words that come to mind when someone says the word "champion" to me. If we're going to sing Mitchell's numerous brilliant footballing attributes on the event of his 300-game milestone, it's good to know exactly what his track record comprises.

So how do you feel about Adam Goodes who sniped his way through 300 plus games?

 

[Hawkthorn33]

That's the biggest load of crap ever. You can beleive the media bull shit because you've never played the game, I recon. Go a have a look at the tackle count. Crowley 0 Mitchell 7, now go and look at the clearance count. That's right flog, have a look. Freo with Sandilands and so called great huge bodied midfield got flogged in clearances. Why? Because Mitchell adjusted his game and sucked the 1 dimensional Crowley in. So I will explain it to you as you've obviously never played. So Mitchell is normally a receiver from a ruckman, but for to GF he became the tackler, so Sandialnds taps to Freo mid, Mitchell tackles, Crowley with no idea just worries about Mitchell, ball comes out and what do Hawthorn have? They have a 2 on 1, that's right, Hawks then get the clearance because Crowley in Only active in the game if Mitchell gets the ball. Mitchel has drawn Crowley in as a dead player. Mitchel sacrificed his normal game for the benefit of the team who won. Clarkson speaks about this as well.

2014 Grand Final
Crowley 0 tackles, Mitchell 7 tackles
Hawthorn 42 clearances Freo 33
Hawthorn Premierships since Freos inception 4. Fremantle 0

Yeah but nah, Hawks playing at home and #freekickhawthorn so doesn't matter what you say and how much sense it makes.

Clearly Mitchell is a spud and Hawks are lucky to have been winning premierships in an era where the league has been at its most weakest.

 

[Ian Dunross]

Still don't understand why he's underrated

Champion