Coach Sam Mitchell's direction for the club and 2024 news

[Strapping Young Lad]

If anyone wants to have a listen about what the data is saying in regards to whether we have actually gotten worse this year have a listen to this from the 9:15 mark.

I know a few people have already touched on it, but the data is also showing that our results this year have been slightly better despite actually putting out a younger team and dealing with some injuries.




And here.

 

[Mojo]

Very good question.

I honestly answer yes.

I obviously hope the flag happens... but Hawthorn is about more than success.

Flags plus culture.

I want Sam to be there for 10 years and prove himself our cultural custodian in the name of JKsnr and probably then end up to be f'ed over by dense outsiders who just don't get what Hawthorn is. That is the goal.


Sam has some unhawthorn-like traits as coach and a person. I could list them. Perhaps this makes him the new paradigm.... I hope not/doubt it.

Like... a flag and a Brownlow?

 

[cryptor]

(d) This is controversial.... Sam is not an underdog. Every great Hawthorn coach has been an outsider/underdog... Parkin is the only exception. Sam has never lost at anything.... the fact he and others go on about him being overlooked in the draft is testament to that. Big whoop.

Can you expand on this? Are you concerned he's only got to senior coach this early/at all due to the prestige of his playing career (like Voss, Buckley, Hird) and that a outsider/underdog would have had to prove themselves more? Or is it that you don't think he has the mentality as someone accustomed to footy success, to handle the pressure of being an underdog if he struggles to improve the team? Or something else?

 

[CaptainWorpedo]

Our main issues are:

(a) We loose Clarksons genius.... even if Clarkson can be slow to change at times, when he made a change.. it worked.

(b) Our prime aged midfield don't win our time trials... and can't chase or corral

(c) We haven't a monster key defender or a Forward who worries the opposition. Bruest is the biggest worry to defebders.

(d) This is controversial.... Sam is not an underdog. Every great Hawthorn coach has been an outsider/underdog... Parkin is the only exception. Sam has never lost at anything.... the fact he and others go on about him being overlooked in the draft is testament to that. Big whoop.

(e) We lose Clarksons influence over Hawthorn culture.

It will take me 4 or 5 years to really trust Sam. As it should be.

I do not feel it will take 5 years to earn the Hawks love, Sam Mitchell is always HFC.

Sam already has a lot of respect as a player and clubman. A couple of years and he will be a respected coach, his footy iq is high and he will learn more as he goes.

 

[Luv_our_club]

Can you expand on this? Are you concerned he's only got to senior coach this early/at all due to the prestige of his playing career (like Voss, Buckley, Hird) and that a outsider/underdog would have had to prove themselves more? Or is it that you don't think he has the mentality as someone accustomed to footy success, to handle the pressure of being an underdog if he struggles to improve the team? Or something else?

I am probably going to disappoint you and myself in trying to explain my feelings.

JKsnr, Jeans, Joyce, Judge, Schwab, Clarkson.... all had an incredible arrogance about them. It was the arrogance of a person who "knows better than all others".....

BUT.......they knew better because they believed in something greater than themselves.


Sam has arrogance? tick. Sam believes in something greater than himself? not sure???


I have read Sam's biography. And I have watched his actions. As I said, I could make a list of actions that Sam takes that are not really part of Hawthorn culture... that don't show a great understanding or respect for Hawthorn culture. The list will of course be debatable... because culture is intangible.


Sam is YET to send me any signals he gets it.

 

[cryptor]

I am probably going to disappoint you and myself in trying to explain my feelings.

JKsnr, Jeans, Joyce, Judge, Schwab, Clarkson.... all had an incredible arrogance about them. It was the arrogance of a person who "knows better than all others".....

BUT.......they knew better because they believed in something greater than themselves.


Sam has arrogance? tick. Sam believes in something greater than himself? not sure???


I have read Sam's biography. And I have watched his actions. As I said, I could make a list of actions that Sam takes that are not really part of Hawthorn culture... that don't show a great understanding or respect for Hawthorn culture. The list will of course be debatable... because culture is intangible.


Sam is YET to send me any signals he gets it.

I haven't read his biography yet. I would be interested to hear the list of actions you're referring to though as personally from what I've seen/heard there's very little to nothing that troubles me in terms of Mitchell's influence on club culture. If anything, the opposite.

 

[eldorado]

Sam is YET to send me any signals he gets it.

Thanks for letting us know.

 

[Slainte]

I am probably going to disappoint you and myself in trying to explain my feelings.

JKsnr, Jeans, Joyce, Judge, Schwab, Clarkson.... all had an incredible arrogance about them. It was the arrogance of a person who "knows better than all others".....

BUT.......they knew better because they believed in something greater than themselves.


Sam has arrogance? tick. Sam believes in something greater than himself? not sure???


I have read Sam's biography. And I have watched his actions. As I said, I could make a list of actions that Sam takes that are not really part of Hawthorn culture... that don't show a great understanding or respect for Hawthorn culture. The list will of course be debatable... because culture is intangible.


Sam is YET to send me any signals he gets it.

I agree that there is a lot more to coaching than self-confidence and understanding of the game. He has to be able to build a cohesive team that reflects the values of the club song.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

If, as a coach, Sam shares little in common with Schwab and Judge that can only be a good thing.

 

[wahawk]

Thanks for letting us know.

 

[threesixpio]

 

[Luv_our_club]

I haven't read his biography yet. I would be interested to hear the list of actions you're referring to though as personally from what I've seen/heard there's very little to nothing that troubles me in terms of Mitchell's influence on club culture. If anything, the opposite.

Yeah, I don;t claim to be the only person who can judge character. I believe you.

 

[Luv_our_club]

I agree that there is a lot more to coaching than self-confidence and understanding of the game. He has to be able to build a cohesive team that reflects the values of the club song.

Cheers.....

great comment to make.

 

[Luv_our_club]

If, as a coach, Sam shares little in common with Schwab and Judge that can only be a good thing.

Ouch.....

True, in some respects.


But in terms of character Judge and Schwab were A+++++++


Schwab arguably sacraficed his coaching career to win the 2008 flag.

They were fanatical where it came to "club first".

 

[Luv_our_club]

View attachment 1314761

i am still waiting for Sam's signal

 

[OsakaHawk]

I have read Sam's biography. And I have watched his actions. As I said, I could make a list of actions that Sam takes that are not really part of Hawthorn culture... that don't show a great understanding or respect for Hawthorn culture. The list will of course be debatable... because culture is intangible.

I would genuinely like to see the list

 

[Luv_our_club]

I would genuinely like to see the list

I would too. It's really hard to make a list just in writing... it's like arguing the Zupruder Film without ever seeing it.


Finish this sentence: Sam Mitchell is a disciple of........

a. Kennedy Snr
b. Al. Clarkson
c. D. Parkin.
d. Sam Mitchell.
e. nobody.




I don't think the list will be well received. All the effort, for bronx cheers. Plus, I will have to create it from memory.

 

[theiaofseed]

Ouch.....

True, in some respects.


But in terms of character Judge and Schwab were A+++++++


Schwab arguably sacraficed his coaching career to win the 2008 flag.

They were fanatical where it came to "club first".

In what way?

 

[Luv_our_club]

In what way?

Multiple ways.


Here is one.....



Welcome to the club the number 1 draft pick.... Luke Hodge,.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

I am probably going to disappoint you and myself in trying to explain my feelings.

JKsnr, Jeans, Joyce, Judge, Schwab, Clarkson.... all had an incredible arrogance about them. It was the arrogance of a person who "knows better than all others".....

BUT.......they knew better because they believed in something greater than themselves.


Sam has arrogance? tick. Sam believes in something greater than himself? not sure???


I have read Sam's biography. And I have watched his actions. As I said, I could make a list of actions that Sam takes that are not really part of Hawthorn culture... that don't show a great understanding or respect for Hawthorn culture. The list will of course be debatable... because culture is intangible.


Sam is YET to send me any signals he gets it.

The late season form after the senior side implemented a similar style to what Mitchell has the Box Hill boys playing.

The move of Nash to the middle - Nash was a certainty to be cut had that move not be made. He looked clueless out there prior to those last four games, and now looks like he could be a missing piece of the midfield.

Kosi moving forward is another.

Mitchell clearly has an eye for talent and more importantly, an eye for potential.

I personally noticed a new kind of energy around the club at training on Thursday, compared to what I had seen in previous years. And I wasn't the only one to notice this. There are a few regular training watchers that don't post on here, and they have all said the same thing.

Obviously it's early days, but the signs are very positive at the moment.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Un-Hawthornlike is a bit like the equally bullshit phrase Un-Australian. Both meaningless, intangiable and used to slander people with no real foundation.

Mitchell has played 300+ games for this club, won a Brownlow at this club, had multiple best and fairest seasons at this club, captained a premiership side for this club and is now coach of this club. To say he doesn’t fit in with the culture of the club is just absolute drivel.

 

[matey]

The late season form after the senior side implemented a similar style to what Mitchell has the Box Hill boys playing.

The move of Nash to the middle - Nash was a certainty to be cut had that move not be made. He looked clueless out there prior to those last four games, and now looks like he could be a missing piece of the midfield.

Kosi moving forward is another.

Mitchell clearly has an eye for talent and more importantly, an eye for potential.

I personally noticed a new kind of energy around the club at training on Thursday, compared to what I had seen in previous years. And I wasn't the only one to notice this. There are a few regular training watchers that don't post on here, and they have all said the same thing.

Obviously it's early days, but the signs are very positive at the moment.

I like the storey at training where Nash was walking towards the forward group but Mitchell pulled him up and reminded him to walk towards the midfield group and Nash was sort of like wtf confused a little ….. read it somewhere along those lines anyway . Hoping that a few players that have improved dramatically and have been plucked out of no where since Mitchell became development coach at Box Hill …… ain’t a coincidence!

 

[Luv_our_club]

The late season form after the senior side implemented a similar style to what Mitchell has the Box Hill boys playing.

The move of Nash to the middle - Nash was a certainty to be cut had that move not be made. He looked clueless out there prior to those last four games, and now looks like he could be a missing piece of the midfield.

Kosi moving forward is another.

Mitchell clearly has an eye for talent and more importantly, an eye for potential.

I personally noticed a new kind of energy around the club at training on Thursday, compared to what I had seen in previous years. And I wasn't the only one to notice this. There are a few regular training watchers that don't post on here, and they have all said the same thing.

Obviously it's early days, but the signs are very positive at the moment.

Dermott Brereton always used to say... "there are a lot of myths in football".

Jeans told Dermot on his death bed.... "You were the most courageous of all"......


So many Mitchell "narratives" came out when Jeff was ousting Clarkson and Mitchell was part of the coup.


1, Collins brought in Bramble.

2. Nash played midfield at Box Hill because Box Hill had NO OTHER midfield options. If Sam wanted Nash as a mid why wait until they lost every other mid player HALF WAY through the season. It wasn't a GENIUS PLAN. Perhaps credit to Clarkson for keeping Nash on the list for 5 years.


3. The often repeated idea that Box Hill had some fast, attacking, game style that the senior team is crying out for is just childish. Apples and Oranges.

4. Kozi moving forward was just another Hail Mary.... has more to do with the Pies new coach.



Sam is Sam. What he brings to the club is Sam. He is Sam. He is Sam. No runs on the board. He ain't done s**t but undermine and stab his senior mentor in the back. That's it. Sam is Sam.


All those OTHER narratives came from apologists for Jeff knifing Clarkson.

 

[threesixpio]

Dermott Brereton always used to say... "there are a lot of myths in football".

Jeans told Dermot on his death bed.... "You were the most courageous of all"......


So many Mitchell "narratives" came out when Jeff was ousting Clarkson and Mitchell was part of the coup.


1, Collins brought in Bramble.

2. Nash played midfield at Box Hill because Box Hill has NO OTHER midfield options. If Sam wanted Nash as a mid why wait until they lost every other mid player HALF WAY through the season. It wasn't a GENIUS PLAN. Perhaps credit to Clarkson for keeping Nash on the list for 5 years.


3. The often repeated idea that Box Hill had some fast, attacking, game style that the senior team is crying out for is just childish. Apples and Oranges.

4. Kozi moving forward was just another Hail Mary.... has more to do with the Pies new coach.



Sam is Sam. What he brings to the club is Sam. He is Sam. He is Sam. No runs on the board. He ain't done sh*t but undermine and stab his senior mentor in the back. That's it. Sam is Sam.


All those OTHER narratives came from apologists for Jeff knifing Clarkson.

Bit over the top…

Anyway. Let’s wait to see what he does. It’s not Clarkothorn - It’s Hawthorn

 

[Judd2Sewell]

I like the storey at training where Nash was walking towards the forward group but Mitchell pulled him up and reminded him to walk towards the midfield group and Nash was sort of like wtf confused a little ….. read it somewhere along those lines anyway

I think from memory it was Mitchell who saw him training with the forwards and asked him what he was doing, and asked why he wasn't training with the midfielders. Nash replied that he didn't know why he wasn't.

 

[cryptor]

Yeah, I don;t claim to be the only person who can judge character. I believe you.

That was just my experience and like I said, I haven't read his book. I'm genuinely keen to hear what's got you concerned.

We've been crying out for some significant change for a while (it didn't have to be Clarko going, it could have just been him changing things more) and now we've got it in the form of Sam Mitchell taking over. I'm conscious of the fact that the club has been building him up in its own media ever since he took over Box Hill. I wouldn't go so far as to call it propaganda but it's certainly had the influence of getting the fanbase excited for what he'll bring.