Will Sam Mitchell Get Slighted By The AA Selectors Again?

[gaz15]

Best clearance player ? If talking strictly a clearance player I would rate Lenny Hayes above Mitchell.

Judd, Ablett, Swan, Selwood, Pendelbury and Murphy are also superior mid fielders to Mitchell as they can both win their own ball and run and carry.

Having said all that I think he will be picked in the AA team this year in the centre.

Ur being pretty harsh on mitch. I never said ne was THE BEST. I said in the best. Just think he is extremelly under rated. Over the last 8 or so years he has been consistantly better than most in clearances. His kicking is at least the equal of hayes and is better with his hands. Hayes is prob better defensivly but it would be interesting to compare the stats on them.

 

[MinerBoy]

Unfortunately for Sam Mitchell he is strictly an inside clearance player. In the past he would be competing against the likes of Lenny Hayes and Jobe Watson for that position.

With Hayes / Waton out injured and with Mitchell's form he should be rewarded. But to say he should have been in the past would be wrong.

The current day elite mid-fielders; Judd, Ablett, Swan, Pendelbury and Murphy can both win their own ball and run and carry. Makes them much more versitile to pick as they can also play wing or flanks.

If Mitchell does not play centre there is no other position for him.

Well he has and always will be better than Watson - in any season past, present or future.

 

[Guardian Hawk]

Two things need to be said about this poll.
Sam Mitchell should be duely rewarded with AA selection this year. No one is denying this point.
The original question in this poll is loaded. What other year and ahead of who should he have been picked?
While he can play flank / wing he is not an elite outside running player. In my opinion and obviously also that of the AA selectors is that Mitchell needs to play in the centre as an inside mid.
In past years I think Lenny Hayes would have been picked in this role in front of Mitchell and that would be a correct selection.

There have been several years where Sam Mitchell has been a superior clearance player than Lenny Hayes and coincidingly, several years where Mitchell has deserved AA (at least on the bench).

For example, Mitchell deservedly finished 3rd in the brownlow in 2007 and was top 5 in several Media awards.
In 2008, he was the premiership teams No1 Mid, was the Age Player of the Year and again high in several other media awards.
'06 and '09 were also great years for him, winning Hawthorn's B & F and generally considered one of (if not the) best pure inside/clearance player in the AFL.

Also, consider that from 2003 -2011 (current players)...Mitchell is:
#1 for disposals in the AFL
#1 for clearances in the AFL
#7 for Brownlow votes in the AFL

Yet can't even crack an AA bench spot.

 

[Guardian Hawk]

Best clearance player ? If talking strictly a clearance player I would rate Lenny Hayes above Mitchell

Actually, coming into the '03 season having just 9 AFL games under his belt,
Sam Mitchell lead the league in clearances, winning a massive 135!

Since then, from '04-'08, the leading clearance players have been:
Sam Mitchell - ave 5.9 clearances
Chris Judd - ave 5.4 clearances
Simon Black - ave 5.2 clearances
(Lenny Hayes - ave 4.4 clearances)

Mitchell also had more clearances in '09 than Hayes, despite St.Kilda having a dominant season and Hawthorn being poo.

Don't know last year's stats but expect Hayes to have been better given Mitchell played on a flank due to injuries for much of the year.

 

[HeHateMe]

Also, consider that from 2003 -2011 (current players)...Mitchell is:
#1 for disposals in the AFL
#1 for clearances in the AFL
#7 for Brownlow votes in the AFL

Yet can't even crack an AA bench spot.

He get's forgotten about because he is one of if not the most consistent player in the AFL. Going from year to year he has never underperformed...

 

[gaz15]

There have been several years where Sam Mitchell has been a superior clearance player than Lenny Hayes and coincidingly, several years where Mitchell has deserved AA (at least on the bench).

For example, Mitchell deservedly finished 3rd in the brownlow in 2007 and was top 5 in several Media awards.
In 2008, he was the premiership teams No1 Mid, was the Age Player of the Year and again high in several other media awards.
'06 and '09 were also great years for him, winning Hawthorn's B & F and generally considered one of (if not the) best pure inside/clearance player in the AFL.

Also, consider that from 2003 -2011 (current players)...Mitchell is:
#1 for disposals in the AFL
#1 for clearances in the AFL
#7 for Brownlow votes in the AFL

Yet can't even crack an AA bench spot.

Just makes it seem even more ridiculous....

 

[HyperAgressiveDonk]

Actually, coming into the '03 season having just 9 AFL games under his belt,
Sam Mitchell lead the league in clearances, winning a massive 135!

Since then, from '04-'08, the leading clearance players have been:
Sam Mitchell - ave 5.9 clearances
Chris Judd - ave 5.4 clearances
Simon Black - ave 5.2 clearances
(Lenny Hayes - ave 4.4 clearances)

Mitchell also had more clearances in '09 than Hayes, despite St.Kilda having a dominant season and Hawthorn being poo.

Don't know last year's stats but expect Hayes to have been better given Mitchell played on a flank due to injuries for much of the year.

Yes Mitchell has been slighted at least 3 years I can think of. A lot better than some of the other blokes who made it in some years. No doubt be ****ed over again this year as well. The selectors seem to be class A w***ers.