Toast Sam Mitchell, Hall of fame inductee 2023

[Pinoy Hawk]

 

[Pinoy Hawk]

 

[bigmaxi]

Cheers Sammy, well deserved. I am so excited for the next ten plus years for my footy club with you at the helm. Looking forward to you standing on the other side of a cup held high, Go Hawks.

 

[Billyc]

One of the greats. Let’s hope some great chapters still to come

 

[Argy]

Well done Sam. Well deserved. It's exciting to know that the whole of your football story is yet to be written.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Next to Dunstall the best footballer I have ever had the pleasure of watching play for the Mighty Hawks.

What a gun he was, very well deserved honour.

 

[drewand]

Gave a really good acceptance speech.
What a great player, and champion of the Brown and Gold. Well done Sammy !!

 

[TheFourPillars]

A beacon for any young footballer out there of perseverance and self improvement. Sam wasn't a world beater when he started playing but he became a great through sheer hard work. One of the greats for all the right reasons. I tips me hat. Well done Sam. I don't think i missed many games you played during your career including the games down at box hill and it was a real pleasure.

 

[Stottzy]

The best thing is reading all the salty Bombers supporters trolling the socials, cause it mentioned he is a brownlow medallist. Living rent free in their heads for 11 years.

 

[extractasam]

Personally the best player I’ve seen since I started following footy. It was about the 3rd game I ever went to see as a young bloke when he debuted. I was about 7 years old and remember vividly thinking at the time that sides like Brisbane and Port Adelaide were going to be the best teams forever. Oh how this guy helped swing that.

Until I heard Hodgey talk about it you seem to forget (and it’s rarely spoken about when summarising his career) - this bloke was ******* tough as nails. How often did he get smashed and you’d think gee he might be in some strife here… but he’d dust himself off and duck waddle off to the next stoppage and within 5 minutes he’d be back at full tilt.

Could watch his highlights for days, the no look dummies, across body kicks that nobody else would see let alone have the ability to execute. He had the whole package for a bloke who was physically limited in a lot of ways. I tell my mrs he could still get a game in a few teams (and I genuinely think I mean it sometimes).

Can’t wait to see him take us wherever he does next

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Mitchell was underrated as a player. Changed games with his ability to redirect the flow of the footy in an instant.

 

[James Colorado]

Beautiful

One of the best in the club's history (Top 10, maybe Top 5) rightfully acknowledged as a great of the game.

Yet his career with Hawthorn is only at its midpoint; he's the best candidate to stand on the dais again on the last Saturday in September, one handle of the cup in his hand, the other in James Sicily

6

James Sicily

Age

29

Ht

188cm

Wt

90kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

12.7

5star

HB

5.7

4star

M

6.3

5star

T

1.5

3star

MG

365.0

5star

D

19.4

4star

K

14.3

5star

HB

5.1

3star

M

5.9

5star

T

1.0

2star

MG

437.4

5star

D

10.0

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

4.2

4star

T

2.0

4star

MG

173.8

3star

's...

If his success as a coach is anything like his as a player, the Hawthorn FC will soon be adding a fifth Legend to the HOF (after Dunstall is elevated, ofc).

 

[hawker79]

Congrats Sam and well deserved! A true Hawthorn champion. Can't wait to see you hold the premiership cup as a coach many times and looking forward to the journey ahead.

 

[James Colorado]

A beacon for any young footballer out there of perseverance and self improvement. Sam wasn't a world beater when he started playing but he became a great through sheer hard work. One of the greats for all the right reasons. I tips me hat. Well done Sam. I don't think i missed many games you played during your career including the games down at box hill and it was a real pleasure.

Not just an inspiration to young footballers, TFP, but to anyone who has experienced setbacks in their endeavours. Those initial failures can so often lead to the greatest successes if their lessons are learned

 

[Dewyyyyy]

Absolutely well deserved.

Sam as I have said recently is an incredible person & player. Every time I listen to him talk I am in constant awe, it is quite incredible to continuously be able to listen to him, no matter what it is about. He could talk about paint drying, and make that sound interesting. The way he understands the game but not only that, he understands life. And in the best way he communicates that.

Sam is such an immense footy personnel. Listening to him speak I am constantly in awe of the way he is able to view things, with pessimism but also plenty of optimism & realism. You need a good mix of all 3 to be someone who is able to adequately look at your football club, or anything in life, to make the best decisions and communication is key within that. His ability to communicate within the media is in the top echelon of any coaches or media personalities that I can think of.


His smarts with the way he talks but incredibly and most importantly the way he views the game is superb. I could listen to him all day long, the views he had on many topics but also the way he delivered them and the way he never seems flustered and always calm is very much like the way he played football. With a tough mental edge added to it.

But not only that him as a player.

As it was pointed out on the broadcast, the selflessness of Sam, but an equal amount of selfishness. It is needed, that gap and the balance. To win a final, a grand final. He'd be selfless. But to get himself and the team into a position he needed that bit of selfishness. He had such a good drive, mentality, and stubbornness which was a big play in why he was so good with as many clear deficiencies he had, that he couldn't control.

I loved the 2013 grand final as an example of his selflessness, he had a huge impact and was amazing for us despite not being at his ball-winning and ball-using best. He was able to do it in another way, like every great leader and player could do. Find another way.

To prove everyone wrong time after time.

Sam is well and truly deserving of this incredible accolade, and no doubt it'll be quickly celebrated and back to coaching and winning games of footy.

Congratulations

 

[theiaofseed]

Dunstall, Matthew and Parkins all agreed he was in the top 3 Hawthorn players of all time, it was a pleasure every week to sit down and watch Mitchell work his magic.

 

[OnWardnUpWard]

That era was an embarrassment of riches and - as respected as he was/is - you could reasonably argue that Mitchell was underrated.

Now a deserved Hall of Famer but he may not be done carving out a lasting legacy.

 

[SSSSSS]

Amazing to think that a guy that was short, slow and could barely kick it over 40m would become one of the most damaging midfielders the game has ever seen. Testament to his work ethic to get the absolute most out of himself. What a player. Comfortably sits in the very top players I've ever seen, Hawk or otherwise.

Hodge was the beating heart of our dynasty but Mitchell was the brains.

 

[Roby]

Correct if I'm wrong but I think Sam is no.1 clearance player of all time. Think about that for a second. Think of all the great rovers in history and his number one.

Not bad for a guy who wasn't drafted because he was too slow and too short. Wgat recruiters miscalculated is that he was the QUICKEST of mind. A skill greater than speed.

Which is why I was not surprised what Hodgey said in 2013 GF Sammy had a massive impact by putting himself in the Sandilands hitout zone. This was 100% selfless role to allow the other mids to dominate. Maybe the best ambidextrous player I've seen, and yet he could hace an a impact even without possessions.

What did he win 4 all-australians? Should've had 10.

 

[MasterSamurai]

Quite possibly the most skillful player I've seen play the game!!

 

[extractasam]

Correct if I'm wrong but I think Sam is no.1 clearance player of all time. Think about that for a second. Think of all the great rovers in history and his number one.

Not bad for a guy who wasn't drafted because he was too slow and too short. Wgat recruiters miscalculated is that he was the QUICKEST of mind. A skill greater than speed.

Which is why I was not surprised what Hodgey said in 2013 GF Sammy had a massive impact by putting himself in the Sandilands hitout zone. This was 100% selfless role to allow the other mids to dominate. Maybe the best ambidextrous player I've seen, and yet he could hace an a impact even without possessions.

What did he win 4 all-australians? Should've had 10.

3rd all time behind Selwood/JJK.
Pretty sure he was 1st for a while.

Think it was only 3 AA’s as well, not even in 2012 either his Brownlow year

 

[dermott]

Sam won 5 Crimmins medals which is second only to the great Barney Rubble. That is enough to place him in the top echelon of HFC champions.

 

[TheFourPillars]

I can relate a story during our 3peat years. I was at training and in the grandstand as it was raining (yeah, I know SOFT) as Sammy was coming down the stairs the week after a win. I congratulated him on his great game. From memory I think he had 33 possessions. He was like I just came from the review, and it wasn't good. Clarko got into me about the game. Looking at the game and his stats the man and his coach set really high standards for him. It was a driving force throughout his career that he could always do things better. A great way to think about not only your football career but your entire life.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Just think, if Kevin Sheedy wasn't a complete buffoon, Mitchell is an essendon player and we never see the best of him

 

[Brishawk]

Congratulations Sam! Well deserved recognition for an absolute champion!