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.

 

[jwint43]

Even with the shocking start, I was of the opinion that he is the best coach in the comp and I think that is now on full display. I actually think most coaches are vastly overrated in their actual football knowledge, but Mitchell is someone who truly understands the game.

He is the reason the Eagles won the 2018 grand final, the midfielders in that side still talk about his influence and knowledge. The biggest question mark was his strong personality but it seems like he has softened up and has changed his approach. Was my favourite non Saints player to watch and looking back on his career everyone said he would make a fantastic coach and he is extracting the maximum from this list which has room to grow.

 

[Buckemenico]

The main skill is developing and getting the best out of players who were pick 50 plus , mid season draftees, rejects from other clubs . On paper no-one rated us and critics all had us as cellar dwellers. The “lead” AFL writer moron had us winning wooden spoon.
Mitchell has shown them all up and hopefully headed for September in astonishing circumstances . 2 games to go

 

[kazzooka]

What's great is that even though we shot ourselves in the foot with a poor start. (and it wasn't just the first 5 weeks it was 7 games and 10 minutes into bulldogs game. We beat North then went back to trash against Sydney.

If we played the entire year at our best and didn't fumble some of our great chances we'd probably have extra wins from Port, Collingwood, Essendon, GWS. The 4 terrible games against Melbourne, Gold Coast, Sydney and Geelong we would have been closer in.

So this really could have been an 18 win + season if we were consistently at our best. But no side ever is.

However if we make finals, it's just going to be 4 wins to a flag instead of 3 and we've done that before.

 

[cryptor]

What's great is that even though we shot ourselves in the foot with a poor start. (and it wasn't just the first 5 weeks it was 7 games and 10 minutes into bulldogs game. We beat North then went back to trash against Sydney.

If we played the entire year at our best and didn't fumble some of our great chances we'd probably have extra wins from Port, Collingwood, Essendon, GWS. The 4 terrible games against Melbourne, Gold Coast, Sydney and Geelong we would have been closer in.

So this really could have been an 18 win + season if we were consistently at our best. But no side ever is.

However if we make finals, it's just going to be 4 wins to a flag instead of 3 and we've done that before.

Regarding the Swans game, as Sam said in his post-game presser at the time. Cover up the scoreboard and just judge the performance on what could be seen happening out on the field and it didn't look like a demolition. Hawks were mostly doing all the right things. It was just the Swans were a team in top form and humming along in top gear, being ultra efficient with their opportunities.

 

[Platten44]

What's great is that even though we shot ourselves in the foot with a poor start. (and it wasn't just the first 5 weeks it was 7 games and 10 minutes into bulldogs game. We beat North then went back to trash against Sydney.

If we played the entire year at our best and didn't fumble some of our great chances we'd probably have extra wins from Port, Collingwood, Essendon, GWS. The 4 terrible games against Melbourne, Gold Coast, Sydney and Geelong we would have been closer in.

So this really could have been an 18 win + season if we were consistently at our best. But no side ever is.

However if we make finals, it's just going to be 4 wins to a flag instead of 3 and we've done that before.

We have never won 4 finals for a flag, but there is a first time for everything.

 

[Brant]

Think about this: if the three teams involved in our last two rounds remain true to their 2024 form, we will no less than DOUBLE the number of wins we had in '23.

Mindblowing...

That's because we were tanking in 2023 though, right?

 

[Simon Crawshay]

We have never won 4 finals for a flag, but there is a first time for everything.

That extra weeks break before the finals start has really helped the teams that finish 5,6,7,8th. Gives those teams an opportunity to rest players and prepare for a (potential) four week final campaign.

Of course it wont be easy but neither was making the finals after a 0-5 start!

 

[Bedi]

Regarding the Swans game, as Sam said in his post-game presser at the time. Cover up the scoreboard and just judge the performance on what could be seen happening out on the field and it didn't look like a demolition. Hawks were mostly doing all the right things. It was just the Swans were a team in top form and humming along in top gear, being ultra efficient with their opportunities.

up till Hardwick's disallowed goal we looked switched on, but from that very moment we had no answers whatsoever. Swans were clearly best side in it, but second half i thought we looked very much like a bottom 4 side.

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

That extra weeks break before the finals start has really helped the teams that finish 5,6,7,8th. Gives those teams an opportunity to rest players and prepare for a (potential) four week final campaign.

Of course it wont be easy but neither was making the finals after a 0-5 start!

It's helped 5-8 with the 4-week block. I think it may have also hurt the teams winning the Qualifying finals - as they now have a week off, play QF, then another week off.

By the time the prelim comes around, they've only played one game in almost a month.

 

[DogDaySonny]

What's great is that even though we shot ourselves in the foot with a poor start. (and it wasn't just the first 5 weeks it was 7 games and 10 minutes into bulldogs game. We beat North then went back to trash against Sydney.

If we played the entire year at our best and didn't fumble some of our great chances we'd probably have extra wins from Port, Collingwood, Essendon, GWS. The 4 terrible games against Melbourne, Gold Coast, Sydney and Geelong we would have been closer in.

So this really could have been an 18 win + season if we were consistently at our best. But no side ever is.

However if we make finals, it's just going to be 4 wins to a flag instead of 3 and we've done that before.

I think the main point to remember about the beginning of the season was that the forward like had zero experience together. Five of the six players were brand new to the squad or the seniors. Put on top of that, the midfield being as nearly as raw as sashimi, and the very slow start should have been expected.

If you break the season into thirds, you can see the progress from disjointed, to understanding on field needs, to taking command of the game. The team has matured really well. Now they are at the peak they can reach this season and we see how it stacks up in finals.

These next two games, by the way, will be a great lesson for the players in controlling their own energy. It’s great to get hyped against big teams in big game in front of big crowds, but to be a team that is really playing at the top, you need to provide and regulate that energy on your own. The Richmond game will be lucky to get 50k. The North game lucky to get 15k. The challenge of top performance in those dead environments will be a good test for the boys.

 

[OnTheRocks]

Good to not have got parish. Can't believe some wanted him, downhill skier.
Talk on the doper board about trading him out!
Another bullet dodged by the Mighty Hawks

 

[theiaofseed]

Loved Sam Mitchell on 360, that response will lead to quite few players wanting to join the club.

 

[matey]

Empty the nest …… such experts . Sam has the boys connecting well

‘Empty-nesters’: Secret brilliance of ‘Hok-ball’ revealed... and why the AFL can’t stop them

‘Hok-ball’: Secret brilliance of ‘explosive’ tactic revealed... and why the AFL can’t stop it

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[cryptor]

Empty the nest …… such experts . Sam has the boys connecting well

‘Empty-nesters’: Secret brilliance of ‘Hok-ball’ revealed... and why the AFL can’t stop them

‘Hok-ball’: Secret brilliance of ‘explosive’ tactic revealed... and why the AFL can’t stop it

www.foxsports.com.au

This is pretty ground breaking analysis.

He probably just ended our season and put the rebuild back out to 10 years.

Now the whole comp knows we run into space and then use the best option based on where the opposition concentrate their defensive numbers.

 

[eldorado]

This is pretty ground breaking analysis.

He probably just ended our season and put the rebuild back out to 10 years.

Now the whole comp knows we run into space and then use the best option based on where the opposition concentrate their defensive numbers.

If Leigh Montagna told me grass was green, I'd go outside to check...

 

[TheFourPillars]

This is pretty ground breaking analysis.

He probably just ended our season and put the rebuild back out to 10 years.

Now the whole comp knows we run into space and then use the best option based on where the opposition concentrate their defensive numbers.

We need a placard for "We will never win again"

 

[DogDaySonny]

We need a placard for "We will never win again"

Surely an Essendon supporter has the picture on repeat over on the * boards.

 

[Billyc]

Utterly incredible turnaround he has engineered.

The ultimate is possible even this year now. Not probable, but possible and if he pulls it off, where does he rise to in the all time greatest Hawthorn people?

 

[Flukey!]

Sam Mitchell.....

 

[Lawsy]

Utterly incredible turnaround he has engineered.

The ultimate is possible even this year now. Not probable, but possible and if he pulls it off, where does he rise to in the all time greatest Hawthorn people?

Pretty high!

Captains a flag, another 3 played in, ~10 top 3 BnF finishes for 5 wins, a Brownlow and then add a flag as coach and he's entering uncharted territory.
He has time on his side too the achieve the flag as a coach.

 

[H00t]

So Mitchell getting fired this week?

Montagna should have more egg on his face than that Carlton supporter from a couple of weeks back.

 

[KermitJagger]

The one thing I've been impressed with when it comes to Sam and how he's coached us since the start is the approach in player management. When you look across the league, as much as it looks like there is, there's no massive gulf in talent between lists - AFL players coming into the league can be shaped so much more than athletes in other sports that come from much more professional pathways. Sam seems to have identified that early and taken a really simple approach to building the list, and building the game plan:

1. Identify a core of players that will support the whole thing.

2. Focus on young, raw players and exciting players that are lacking purpose.

3. Start simple and don't over coach. Set minimum standards around effort, tackling, accountability but get them to focus on their strengths and let them know they're playing with house money for the time being.

4. Build the standards little by little, fill in gaps with good value selections.

Before you know it, you're a few seasons in with a core of exciting, confident players who have all been building their cohesion together like we are in 2024. Other younger sides get stuck at point 3. They'll overcoach as a rule instead of as an exception, only the "best" players get the freedom to play the way they want to play and everyone else is a bit player. Sam flipping that on its head has been one of the key parts of this rebuild, everyone - minimum standards excluded - is free to play the way they want to play and the coaching group will only step in when players are really struggling without prescriptive guidance, like DGB.

It's really unique across the league, and even other similar coaches like Fly still err more on the side of overcoaching particularly in certain parts of the field. The strategy might have led to some big losses early on but the rate they've turned around has been almost unthinkably quick.

 

[The Golden Glenferrie]

Sam is lucky he's lived through and seen the dynasty from the start, and is cherry picking the best of both worlds for his own coaching journey.

Other coaches don't have any success so they overcoach to hell like KermitJagger says.

We haven't even begun yet. This is our 2006/7. If we can draft well and pick up big pieces, we'll hopefully avoid our 2009-2012 and challenge for a decade!

 

[SSSSSS]

The one thing I've been impressed with when it comes to Sam and how he's coached us since the start is the approach in player management. When you look across the league, as much as it looks like there is, there's no massive gulf in talent between lists - AFL players coming into the league can be shaped so much more than athletes in other sports that come from much more professional pathways. Sam seems to have identified that early and taken a really simple approach to building the list, and building the game plan:

1. Identify a core of players that will support the whole thing.

2. Focus on young, raw players and exciting players that are lacking purpose.

3. Start simple and don't over coach. Set minimum standards around effort, tackling, accountability but get them to focus on their strengths and let them know they're playing with house money for the time being.

4. Build the standards little by little, fill in gaps with good value selections.

Before you know it, you're a few seasons in with a core of exciting, confident players who have all been building their cohesion together like we are in 2024. Other younger sides get stuck at point 3. They'll overcoach as a rule instead of as an exception, only the "best" players get the freedom to play the way they want to play and everyone else is a bit player. Sam flipping that on its head has been one of the key parts of this rebuild, everyone - minimum standards excluded - is free to play the way they want to play and the coaching group will only step in when players are really struggling without prescriptive guidance, like DGB.

It's really unique across the league, and even other similar coaches like Fly still err more on the side of overcoaching particularly in certain parts of the field. The strategy might have led to some big losses early on but the rate they've turned around has been almost unthinkably quick.

You can really see the influence of Ange (one of Sam's more prolific mentors) in the way Sam coaches.

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

Sam is lucky he's lived through and seen the dynasty from the start, and is cherry picking the best of both worlds for his own coaching journey.

Other coaches don't have any success so they overcoach to hell like KermitJagger says.

We haven't even begun yet. This is our 2006/7. If we can draft well and pick up big pieces, we'll hopefully avoid our 2009-2012 and challenge for a decade!

Never mind this "one week at a time" stuff - The Golden Glenferrie here just taking it one decade at a time....