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.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

Finn ??

Finn is an example of someone who is an elite runner but also as an inside mid can endure things. Also take into consideration he now has speed. I didn’t word it well.

 

[Dipper]

i am still waiting for Sam's signal

Oh he sent it mate, it was actually at the exact moment he lifted the 2008 premiership cup which acted as a transmitter, issue was probably more at your end with the signal not penetrating your tin foil hat.

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[Brishawk]

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.

This is the only signal I’m waiting for

 

[threesixpio]

That is the irony.

I am the only one calling for reality.


It comes across as bashing or discordant in a chorus of `hail ceaser'.

Wish you’d ceaser

 

[Mitchell Madness]

(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.

Sam wasn't overlooked once. He was overlooked twice.
He was also told by Kevin sheedy that he'd never succeed in football, and that he should look for a different career (sheedys words supposedly were passed around the clubs)

If that isn't an underdog story I don't know what is.
If we were in the US, he gets books written about him, docos, maybe a movie

 

[KermitJagger]

Some people deify Hawthorn legends far too much on this board, sometimes it feels like I've joined a cult

 

[TylerDurden]

Sam wasn't overlooked once. He was overlooked twice.
He was also told by Kevin sheedy that he'd never succeed in football, and that he should look for a different career (sheedys words supposedly were passed around the clubs)

If that isn't an underdog story I don't know what is.
If we were in the US, he gets books written about him, docos, maybe a movie

Explains this

 

[threesixpio]

* you Sheeds

 

[threesixpio]

Some people deify Hawthorn legends far too much on this board, sometimes it feels like I've joined a cult

I’d take a bullet for Sammy. Who wouldn’t here

 

[Slainte]

Some people deify Hawthorn legends far too much on this board, sometimes it feels like I've joined a cult

Footy clubs are complicated - there are a lot of moving parts. Recruiters, the board the media/marketing people and the medical team all work behind the scenes but can make a big difference. However the coach and to a lesser extent the captain play a pivotal role in making the whole thing work. When a coach snags three or four flags, he is entitled to a bit of love. Captains like Scott and Hodge are also entitled to recognition. John Kennedy Snr as captain then coach took the club from nowhere and established the platform that has made it the dominant team of the last 50 years. I think he might have earned the legend tag.

I reckon Sam has a good chance of becoming a successful (premiership) coach. He is focused, ruthless and smart. I guess the same could be said of Buckley who never quite got there. I reckon Sam could be a bit more balanced than Buckley and has a much better understanding of what makes for a successful team. His work at Box Hill was impressive and the reports from the west very favourable. No coach is perfect in all respects but Sam has a lot going for him.

Having said that, the multiple moving parts in every major footy club means there is an awful lot that can go wrong. What seems to happen with footy clubs is that fairly small things go wrong but then compound and start placing pressure on the coach. That is when you really find out what you have got. If Sam can keep his cool under pressure he will do well.

 

[The Spirit of Cricket]

This sounds similar to his question to CJ "Why aren't you playing in the senior side?". But maybe that was his thing, going around and planting the seeds in players heads.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

This sounds similar to his question to CJ "Why aren't you playing in the senior side?". But maybe that was his thing, going around and planting the seeds in players heads.

That question to CJ seemed to be about prompting CJ to do some self-reflecting, and to work harder.

The Nash one came after his encouraging performances at Box Hill. Both Mitchell and Nash believed he should be training as a midfielder for the senior side too, but Clarko had continued to have him training as a forward.

 

[Randy Campbell]

Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno.

Spectemur agendo.

 

[burner1]

Feels like every pre season over last 3-4 years a more attacking style has been talked up + also how up and about everyone is etc. All the positivity is just BAU - every club is buzzing this time of year.

Reckon preseason just helps understand who has improved and may come into the 22 and who may struggle due to an interrupted prep.

But doesn’t tell you much as to how competitive we’ll be or give any insights into if Mitchell can actually coach.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we are bottom 4/6. We have a new coach, tweaking/changing game style and likely personnel change across the 22 (both from players returning from injury and new faces) and may not do the same late season surge to pick up meaningless wins.

We are likely to be inconsistent and lack cohesion at times. Which is not a concern - takes time for things to gel and Sam must make some changes now (eg midfield) for the long term. The interesting thing will be how Sam handles long periods of poor performance (if it happens) when pressure starts to mount.

 

[H00t]

Feels like every pre season over last 3-4 years a more attacking style has been talked up + also how up and about everyone is etc. All the positivity is just BAU - every club is buzzing this time of year.

Reckon preseason just helps understand who has improved and may come into the 22 and who may struggle due to an interrupted prep.

But doesn’t tell you much as to how competitive we’ll be or give any insights into if Mitchell can actually coach.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we are bottom 4/6. We have a new coach, tweaking/changing game style and likely personnel change across the 22 (both from players returning from injury and new faces) and may not do the same late season surge to pick up meaningless wins.

We are likely to be inconsistent and lack cohesion at times. Which is not a concern - takes time for things to gel and Sam must make some changes now (eg midfield) for the long term. The interesting thing will be how Sam handles long periods of poor performance (if it happens) when pressure starts to mount.

One of the things I’m most excited for is seeing how Sam can get our offensive game going. We’ve scored over 100 only 4 times in the last 3 years. 2 of those against the suns in the last 2 rounds of the year.

Shortened quarters in 2020 might not have helped but even when we’ve played well we haven’t looked like putting a good score on the board.

Even getting some flow in our offensive game will making watching us much more enjoyable

 

[GOHORCS]

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.

Honestly, you lost me at the use of "loose" instead of lose.
However, "the main issues" you cite feel contrived 'motivated reasoning'.
From other's posts, it sounds like you are a well known Clarkson sycophant which might explain it.
We have entered the Sam Mitchell era and the Clarkson era is over. Let it go.
By all accounts, Sam has been quite adaptable, good at creating a positive mindset in others, people enjoy being around him and feel comfortable challenging him.
He seems to have high expectations that are based on controlling the controllables and working with utilising strengths rather than investing extensive time on weakness's.

This is combined with an element of fun. As a player, he was slow, and as you pointed out, overlooked in the draft. That sounds like an underdog to me. He made it work and had success which is an important part of being an underdog. Underdogs without success are what is known as losers.

The lack of speed in midfield is a recruitment issue created on Clarko's watch, which appears to be addressed by a change in recruiting mindset. Is it/will it be an issue?
The 'monster key position threat issue' is not an issue when you have a collectively strong backline and a multi pronged forward line who can get faster/more direct delivery supported by talented smalls.
We appear to have all this ready to go and largely orchestrated since the genius Clarko left the building.

I do agree that we have not seen what Sam will achieve and time will tell.
Lastly, luv without trust is not luv. I propose a name change to 'suspicious sceptic'.

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[Simon Crawshay]

One of the things I’m most excited for is seeing how Sam can get our offensive game going. We’ve scored over 100 only 4 times in the last 3 years. 2 of those against the suns in the last 2 rounds of the year.

Shortened quarters in 2020 might not have helped but even when we’ve played well we haven’t looked like putting a good score on the board.

Even getting some flow in our offensive game will making watching us much more enjoyable

Boy I knew our scoring has been bad the last 3 years but only topping 100 4 times in that time is dire indeed!

In my opinion our number 1 priority still remains fixing our midfield but a close second is getting some flow into our offensive game, we need to be an offensive threat.

 

[Brant]

In my opinion our number 1 priority still remains fixing our midfield but a close second is getting some flow into our offensive game, we need to be an offensive threat.

I'm pretty confident that fixing the midfield (including our transition through the middle when coming out of defence) will go a long way to seeing our forwardline look dangerous.

 

[perrdan86]

I'm pretty confident that fixing the midfield (including our transition through the middle when coming out of defence) will go a long way to seeing our forwardline look dangerous.

Agreed.

I also think changing how we structure up will help.. Ie.. having fowards in the fwd line to lead up to the ball carrier.

 

[Easy Slips Catch]

Brisbane post Lethal, EFC post Sheedy, Hafey/tigers, Smith/Go Dees - history suggests we may be in trouble.

Sammy was key to getting rid of Clarkson. The task is in front of him.

 

[Pessimistic]

Brisbane post Lethal, EFC post Sheedy, Hafey/tigers, Smith/Go Dees - history suggests we may be in trouble.

Sammy was key to getting rid of Clarkson. The task is in front of him.

If Sammy returned what Joyce did in 5 seasons I’d be happy

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Brisbane post Lethal, EFC post Sheedy, Hafey/tigers, Smith/Go Dees - history suggests we may be in trouble.

Sammy was key to getting rid of Clarkson. The task is in front of him.

Most of those coaches who took over those legacies had to start the rebuild however - Mitchell is inheriting a list that doesn’t require much more turnover and instead is ready to be built as he likes.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Change in football is inevitable. It is also a certainty in life. Some people just do not cope with change it takes them a while to adjust, settle feel comfortable again. Their anxiousness plays out as outburst of anger or frustration.

Sam Mitchell is now the coach of Hawthorn and Clarkson is not. So lets get behind him he has brought a new approach of physicality and more commando( dare i say Kennedy) approach to training. Like every new coach that has coached Hawthorn he will need time to find his feet and come to terms with the rigours and pressures of being an AFL coach. I am sure he is going to lose it i mean he has already had to hold the kids to his standards.

Sam's way the new hawthorn way will take time to implement. I mean when you come to training what you see is the same drills being run monotonously. To make it second nature to the kids. It is what pre season is and he needs a few more pre seasons before just like the supporters the players are comfortable with it.

You've got to at least give the man a go. I can't wait for our pre season games they will be more revealing to Sam, the players and our supporters. It is the Sam Mitchell era embrace it

 

[threesixpio]

I'm pretty confident that fixing the midfield (including our transition through the middle when coming out of defence) will go a long way to seeing our forwardline look dangerous.

Yep. I remember Hodgey (M Lewis) beinn awesome on the lead in that GWS game in the snow. Had good entires that night

 

[Easy Slips Catch]

If Sammy returned what Joyce did in 5 seasons I’d be happy

Are you including one of his years at Footscray?

The coaches I mentioned were sacked or pushed, Jeans retired.

Other than that well-researched response.