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.

 

[BIGHAWK23]

Now the bloody captain is individualising players - this is the real pandemic!

How dare he

#Clarkowouldnever

 

[Roddy]

You know what? We may not get anywhere near finals this year. But I’ve seen enough from just a game and a bit to believe that Sammy can coach, his message is getting across, they’re playing for him, because they’re playing with commitment. We just need to wait for all of these youngsters to mature and get 40-50 games under their belts.

 

[threesixpio]

I’d like to name a coach by name.

Sammy Farkn Mitchell

 

[I got the outside word]

I’ve seen enough. End the season here. Sam is Lord.

 

[Philhawk]

Sam Mitchell.

Just wow.

Believe the hype, we have someone seriously special here.

 

[halfback dasher]

Up

 

[Brishawk]

Up

 

[Roddy]

My only, very small concern is that we're in a Sammy honeymoon period. But yeah, we could not have started better.

 

[Hodginator]

 

[Pessimistic]

Squiggle now rating us 50-50 right through to the bye, except a tough melbourne game

Seem to be fixing the outside run and connection, and 4 quarter efforts

 

[Tassie Cryptik]

That September flight booking is looking good.

 

[Pessimistic]

Tightest defence by a long shot. Love the attacking style

Is the miserly defence an anomaly? It’s average 72 points against over 8 games, with top 4 teams 2021 in there. Our best recent season was 2015 averaging 70 points. Ignored shortened season 2020

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Was texting back and forward with my Blues supporting mate yesterday arvo, and he said he liked the footy that Mitchell had us playing.

I text back that I think we’ll be a bit messy for a few more weeks, but then the gameplan will start to come together.

Fast forward 8 hours and oh boy wowee, I think the group might have already latched onto it.

 

[A Cut Above]

Hopefully last night gets some of the naysayers to take a fresh look at things.

I was behind Mitchell's appointment 100% from the very start. We've successfully avoided becoming the Alastair Clarkson Football Club and in just two games Mitch has shown that Clarko, much as we'll always love him, is not essential to Hawthorn's success.

The correct decision was made.

 

[Pinoy Hawk]

Press Conference | Sam Mitchell

Watch Hawthorn's press conference after round two's match against Port Adelaide.

www.hawthornfc.com.au

 

[Toasted]

This game style is going to frustrate the stats watches out there. You can’t judge a midfielders game by the amount of disposals he has. It’s all about driving the ball forward as fast as possible.
No junk possessions. Nothing that’s unproductive. Fast, long, to the forwards advantage. Footy is such a simple game

 

[offtherails9]

You know what? We may not get anywhere near finals this year. But I’ve seen enough from just a game and a bit to believe that Sammy can coach, his message is getting across, they’re playing for him, because they’re playing with commitment. We just need to wait for all of these youngsters to mature and get 40-50 games under their belts.

Not to get ahead of ourselves but I guess we need to probably win 10 games from our next 20 to make finals, it's fairly do-able based off our early performances here.

 

[offtherails9]

This game style is going to frustrate the stats watches out there. You can’t judge a midfielders game by the amount of disposals he has. It’s all about driving the ball forward as fast as possible.
No junk possessions. Nothing that’s unproductive. Fast, long, to the forwards advantage. Footy is such a simple game

We did slice through them in the contest with our handballs though last night, but I completely agree with your point.

 

[Hodgey09]

Regardless of where we finish, Sam's made hawthorn fun again. Haven't enjoyed watching the Hawks style so much for years.

 

[burner1]

Great start - we kept our defensive structures but with heaps quicker/aggressive ball movement and lots of mid rotations meaning our pressure is consistently higher.

It’s very early days and we probably surprised port with our style. Teams will now spend time figuring it out. Which is fine - that happens. More importantly players seem to be buying into what Sam is thinking and we seem be have implemented major changes in game style over a preseason (which will break down / not look as good as last night but still a heap of progress)

 

[Roddy]

Not to get ahead of ourselves but I guess we need to probably win 10 games from our next 20 to make finals, it's fairly do-able based off our early performances here.

I wrote that at 1/4 time, fully expecting the Power to come back and overpower us and win fairly comfortably from there. A 10 goal win I did NOT expect!

So far, it's round 2 and we've beaten last year's wooden spooners and a good side who had several of their best players out, so we have to keep a lid on it.

But a very promising start nonetheless!

 

[HODGEYROAD]

Yeah I'm bullish that he may become a very special coach, patience will be key but Sam just has it I think.

 

[The Offerman]

Sam Mitchell to be the first in history to threepeat as a player and then again as a coach?

I'm being facetious this early, but haven't those saying the messy handover would hurt him gone quiet? Sam coming in has been the absolute best thing for the club, it was much needed to release the shackles and allow the group to play with some freedom and flair. Was that the first time in eight seasons we've broken 120 points? I think I read that somewhere.

Clearances are still a bit of a worry. Lost that stat 54-30 and 18-8 in the centre. I don't know how that keeps happening but it doesn't seem to be too important right now.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

I said a couple of times last year that I honestly had no idea how good or bad our list was given the ultra, ultra defensive gamestyle Clarko had us playing. The last three years we were playing for the equivalent of a nil all draw each week!

Turns out our list is actually not bad at all once the shackles are taken off them and they are given license to run and play with some verve!

Also shows that posters that told me that our defensive gamestyle wasn't Clarko's doing might need to reassess their viewpoint.

It all flows from the top (120 points baby!)

 

[TheFourPillars]

I said a couple of times last year that I honestly had no idea how good or bad our list was given the ultra, ultra defensive gamestyle Clarko had us playing. The last three years we were playing for the equivalent of a nil all draw each week!

Turns out our list is actually not bad at all once the shackles are taken off them and they are given license to run and play with some verve!

Also shows that posters that told me that our defensive gamestyle wasn't Clarko's doing might need to reassess their viewpoint.

It all flows from the top (120 points baby!)

I wouldn't get carried away just yet mate lol. Gamestyle are all well and good they require execution. We are hit and miss in this category from game to game from training session to training session. You can tell that just from watching the Nth game. Its a work in progress we have struggled with transition football for the last 4 to 5 years. Its the best transition football we have played since the GWS game last year. We may come out next week and not look like the same team for two reasons our skills and the opposition after all that win was based on our ability to defend and then attack. We are on the right track but there is still a long way to go