Coach Sam Mitchell - where is the pressure?

[FreoGirl]

You can't really make an argument otherwise. Hawks were widely considered a bottom 4 lock and they're on the cusp of the 8 midway through the season.

Even if Hawks don't win another game, he has done better than Simpson and Alistair

 

[HairyO]

I did a reasonable / fair Ladder predictor and we enter the top 8 in Round 18, top 4 in Round 20, and top 2 in Round 22.

Unfortunately, because I was being fair / reasonable we couldnt displace the Swans from top spot.

Mitchell just not quite getting us there.

 

[hawkman]

I did a reasonable / fair Ladder predictor and we enter the top 8 in Round 18, top 4 in Round 20, and top 2 in Round 22.

Unfortunately, because I was being fair / reasonable we couldnt displace the Swans from top spot.

Mitchell just not quite getting us there.

Still means we get the MCG in the finals all the way to winning the flag

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

What/who changed from when Clarkson was apparently making all those calls though, as indicated by Hawks fans earlier ITT? Genuine question, McKenzie doesn’t have the same profile as a Dodoro or Wells so hard to know careers & positions unless followed the Hawks.

Circling back to this. Interesting tidbit in a recent podcast that Jordan Lewis did with Backchat, was that Clarkson arrived at his door to sell him on moving to the Suns, and proceeded to barely let him get a word in.

This was something that our list manager Graeme Wright had no knowledge of at the time according to Lewis.
Clarkson had just taken it upon himself to convince our B&F runner up that he needed to leave the club and what an opportunity it was for him. He instead said I’ll go to Melbourne thanks.

Wright and Clarkson were said to have a pretty robust and strong relationship but the direction of the list build was something that became a stumbling block after 2018 between the two as Clarko continued to court over 28’s and Wright was eyeing the draft.

 

[SSSSSS]

Mitchell had one of the highest footy IQs as a player I've ever seen. I'd be really surprised if he doesn't absolutely kill it as a coach.

I've never been worried about Sam's footy IQ.

The only thing that I worried that could have held him back (as it did with Buckley who also has one of the best footy brains in the business) is how he communicates with his players. Sam wasn't exactly the easiest guy to get a long with as a player. His standards were extremely high and he was very demanding of his teammates. Qualities that saw a bloke who went from being told he wasn't good enough for league footy to becoming one of the best midfielders of modern footy. He works bloody hard and expects people to put in. Very similar to Buckley who was a competitive beast.

No longer worried about that at all. The vibe and the buy in from the young kids has been great. They all rave about Sam. I'm wondering if the older heads in Collins and Hickmott have helped bring out Sam's softer side or if he's just mellowed a bit with age.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I've never been worried about Sam's footy IQ.

The only thing that I worried that could have held him back (as it did with Buckley who also has one of the best footy brains in the business) is how he communicates with his players. Sam wasn't exactly the easiest guy to get a long with as a player. His standards were extremely high and he was very demanding of his teammates. Qualities that saw a bloke who went from being told he wasn't good enough for league footy to becoming one of the best midfielders of modern footy. He works bloody hard and expects people to put in. Very similar to Buckley who was a competitive beast.

No longer worried about that at all. The vibe and the buy in from the young kids has been great. They all rave about Sam. I'm wondering if the older heads in Collins and Hickmott have helped bring out Sam's softer side or if he's just mellowed a bit with age.

He made these changes through his time at West Coast, by his own admission, as he was forced to contemplate and be aware of how he would need to interact and get the best out of players when he was soon to be coaching them, who were at that time still his teammates that he demanded so much of.

No doubt he’d continued to work on this when he returned to Hawthorn, but he was really forced to become more self aware in the short time he played at the Eagles.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

I've never been worried about Sam's footy IQ.

The only thing that I worried that could have held him back (as it did with Buckley who also has one of the best footy brains in the business) is how he communicates with his players. Sam wasn't exactly the easiest guy to get a long with as a player. His standards were extremely high and he was very demanding of his teammates. Qualities that saw a bloke who went from being told he wasn't good enough for league footy to becoming one of the best midfielders of modern footy. He works bloody hard and expects people to put in. Very similar to Buckley who was a competitive beast.

No longer worried about that at all. The vibe and the buy in from the young kids has been great. They all rave about Sam. I'm wondering if the older heads in Collins and Hickmott have helped bring out Sam's softer side or if he's just mellowed a bit with age.

Not sure where this myth he was never easy to deal with came from.
He is arrogant and a bit of a see-you-next-tuesday, but he's never been one to say "my way is the only way"
He has always been the type to say - if you do it another way, explain to me why

 

[HairyO]

Not sure where this myth he was never easy to deal with came from.
He is arrogant and a bit of a see-you-next-tuesday, but he's never been one to say "my way is the only way"
He has always been the type to say - if you do it another way, explain to me why

From him and from other players. Its not like its a made up thing which popped up out of nowhere.

That said, Crawford butted heads with players from time to time too. And wasnt afraid to give a spray if he felt a spray was needed.

So too Michael Jordan. And Im sure you can just list every high achieving sportsperson. They are intensely driven and goal focussed.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

From him and from other players. Its not like its a made up thing which popped up out of nowhere.

That said, Crawford butted heads with players from time to time too. And wasnt afraid to give a spray if he felt a spray was needed.

So too Michael Jordan. And Im sure you can just list every high achieving sportsperson. They are intensely driven and goal focussed.

Being arrogant isn't the same as being hard to get along with.
Having a personality not everyone likes also is not the same. Hell, name me one person who everyone likes?

 

[threesixpio]

I've never been worried about Sam's footy IQ.

The only thing that I worried that could have held him back (as it did with Buckley who also has one of the best footy brains in the business) is how he communicates with his players. Sam wasn't exactly the easiest guy to get a long with as a player. His standards were extremely high and he was very demanding of his teammates. Qualities that saw a bloke who went from being told he wasn't good enough for league footy to becoming one of the best midfielders of modern footy. He works bloody hard and expects people to put in. Very similar to Buckley who was a competitive beast.

No longer worried about that at all. The vibe and the buy in from the young kids has been great. They all rave about Sam. I'm wondering if the older heads in Collins and Hickmott have helped bring out Sam's softer side or if he's just mellowed a bit with age.

Has totally grown up

 

[Angak]

Does he have a chance to be truly one of great coaches?

 

[HairyO]

Does he have a chance to be truly one of great coaches?

I sure hope he wins a 3-peat with us.

 

[Philhawk]

Special coach.

 

[Freomaniac]

The change in the ruck rule has helped him, but also he had to change how he contested once the ball hits the deck as he was a playing a bit nice last year.

Would have been in the conversation for one of the most improved players in the game prior to the ankle injury.

Did Meek have a good game tonight vs GWS?

 

[Roddy]

Does he have a chance to be truly one of great coaches?

He’s too smart, wily and canny an operator to not be a successful coach as well as a player. I predict he’ll retire with at least six flags to his name as player and senior coach.

 

[MadMaxx]

Did Meek have a good game tonight vs GWS?

Won the hitouts (31). Broken even with Briggs around the ground (15 Touches). Clunked a few good marks and kicked a goal. Was good

 

[HairyO]

Did Meek have a good game tonight vs GWS?

Id say he won the battle.

 

[Nugett]

We might be under pressure to resign him. Otherwise we could end up with Crazy Vossy

 

[Freomaniac]

Won the hitouts (31). Broken even with Briggs around the ground (15 Touches). Clunked a few good marks and kicked a goal. Was good

Id say he won the battle.

So a good game by reports. I have no animosity towards him.

I think he will follow a similar story to Sam Jacobs as he started at Carlton, got very few games , 17 games in 4 years at Carlton.

Goes back to his home state to South Australia. Plays 9 good seasons at crows. So essentially his prime years at the crows.

Leaves as a free agent on a 2 year deal at GWS but retires after 1 season.

Meek played like 15 games in 4 or 5 years at Freo.

I say he will spend his prime at the Hawks. So Hawks will have 8 or 9 good years out of him.

He then leaves as a free agent and spends 2 years in his 3rd club.

 

[Malik90]

Sam Mitchell is a genius!!!

He is.

Hawthorn have now won 19 of their last 24 games since Round 5 last year.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

If he's not the best already, he will be in 18 months.

Sacrilege to say as a Geelong supporter, but I've always loved him as a player.

Have to appreciate the guys who weren't the most physically gifted, but worked so hard on their skills and nous that it didn't matter in the end.

It's no wonder the dude can coach, and more importantly, communicate and implement a message that sticks with his players.

 

[Malik90]

I'm aware the narrative has now become that wonder coach Sam Mitchell has been hamstrung by his predecessor, for obvious reasons, and that's certainly true. But Sam has also overseen the following:

• Happily dished out Ceglar only to bizarrely bring in an arguable worse replacement in Max Lynch. And threw in the Hawks third rounder on top of the third rounder they got for Ceglar from Geelong.
• Moved Tom Mitchell on for a bloke who can't get a game, leaving an already inexperienced midfield completely bereft of experience or leadership.
• Gave up a 2nd and 3rd rounder to move up from pick 27 to pick 18.
• Paid a 2nd round pick to give Chol 4 years who was subject to Bronx cheers from Hawks fans yesterday.
• Drafted a promising KPF in the MSD draft only to ship him off to Brisbane so that Mitchell could give his mate another contract. This on top of moving on another forward who kicked 15 goals in 11 games last year.
• Bought a small forward in via trade and then doubled down by drafting another instead of using the draft pick to bolster any other area that was lagging. In isolation grabbing Ginni or Watson is perfectly fine but getting both at the same time is weird.

This post has not aged well.

 

[Malik90]

Lots of hawks old boys in the media have his back.
Being a champion player will always buy extra time with the fans but they are becoming increasingly restless.
The pressure of the mounting losses gets too much for club boards and they have to be seen to act.
History suggests the rookie coach of a rebuilding club anchored close to the bottom of the ladder usually walks the plank in the end …

Good one.

 

[Gavin Excell]

He is.

Hawthorn have now won 19 of their last 24 games since Round 5 last year.

Impressive stat

 

[hawkman]

Impressive stat

Probably more impressive is that it is 18 of the last 22 with losses of 1, 2 and 3 points. Only Geelong have really got us in that time at KP last year