Universal Love Thanks Sam Mitchell. A true Hawthorn and AFL legend.

[Endorphin Machine]

Not entirely convinced with that highlight reel. I reckon there's about a thousand other examples of his genius in close which could better show his forte.

They could just play the 2nd qtr of the 2014 GF to see how good he was.

Scintillating in that first half.
So bloody good and so consistent .
Easily one of our greats.

 

[ZAD1]

One of my favourite photos.

 

[Nugett]

I remember when he was first made captain for us he was reading books on leadership non stop, I admire him more than I've probably admired any footballer, he has that sort of diligence that is foreign to me. I don't think there has ever been a player that combined his smarts with his instinct and skills so well in the history of the game. I bet even the trash talk he was so famous for, he probably studied it off Michael Jordan or something I could totally see that.

There'll never be another Sam Mitchell. They've got Adelaide in rd 23, I hope he knees Walker once more for good measure.

The sign of a great leader is to put their ego on the side and inspire those around them and share their success and being accountable.
The passing of the torch, to Hodge, encouraging his team mates to success and working harder after making a rare mistake proves that he truly was a great leader.
Still get goosebumps with the game saving tackle against Ninthmond in 2010.

 

[Davo-27]

i was a regular at Box Hill when Sammy started his career, he was a in and under champ like Johnny Platten which made me a fan, all these years later he is respected by everyone in the footy community, he is an example of how hard work pays off, even if you get Rookie Listed or overlooked in the draft and you arent a top 10 draft pick, you can still become a champion...

 

[MasterSamurai]

The best midfielder of the past 10 years WE SALUTE YOU!!!

 

[Badesumofu]

Hodge and Mitch retiring - at least my avatar is already perfect. What a pair of legends!

 

[HODGEYROAD]

One of my favourite photos.

That image just brings me so much happiness every time I see it.

 

[Breustiful]

Still miss that blonde number 5 (burtos a good replacement don't get me wrong) running out and giving it his all week in and week out. A true champion of this great club and of the game.

 

[Billyc]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...n/news-story/4596c31491535bb553eb79dcba72bbcd

Appalling article by that drunk turd Robinson. Disgraceful that the Herald Sun allow that to be printed when one of the game's greatest players retires.

 

[Gralin]

Appalling article by that drunk turd Robinson. Disgraceful that the Herald Sun allow that to be printed when one of the game's greatest players retires.

so why link it and get him the clicks?

 

[josephine666]

Saints v West Coast starts at 1.10 - I'm gonna put on my hawks gear and head down to Etihad for the first quarter to say thank you to a true hawthorn legend.

 

[MC_9]

One of the all-time Hawthorn greats (and an equal to Hodgey) but compared to the General, there's not much fanfare is there? But I guess that was also his 300th game – in which Mitch got his moment in the sun last year for.

Plus bloody Priddis stole his thunder, and journos broke the news last week too, so doesn't have quite the lustre it deserves. But I guess we already mourned his loss last year. Still thought it was worthy of AFL.com streaming live.

I think it is dye to the fact he is playing for the Eagles.

If he was still a Hawk, there would be a bit more fanfare. Although probably still not as much as Hodge (I honestly can't remember a player getting as much press)

 

[11sjw]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...n/news-story/4596c31491535bb553eb79dcba72bbcd

Appalling article by that drunk turd Robinson. Disgraceful that the Herald Sun allow that to be printed when one of the game's greatest players retires.

Thankfully it is behind a subscription wall.

 

[Agent Smith]

Thank you 5am.

 

[5ammy]

One of my favourite photos.

What a photo, made me well up

 

[Gday1]

What a photo, made me well up

The joy and memories these 2 blokes have given us.
My 2 favourites

 

[5ammy]

The joy and memories these 2 blokes have given us.
My 2 favourites

We've been spoilt mate, it's amazing how quickly time passes by. Couldn't imagine life without Mitch in the brown & gold and now I need to get used to footy without Hodge. Man that sucks

 

[LoneStar]

Wasn't a good AFL prospect.
Too slow!
Couldn't kick long.
Did anyone mention slow?

We were blessed by his legendary presence!

If the media & other footy know-it-alls could start talking ASAP about how lame Sam's coaching pedigree is & that he's not fit to be in charge at the AFL level - he could be a coach that obliterates Clarko's accomplishments. Wouldn't mind seeing Sam do that with Hawks once AC has decided developing players & winning premierships has become tiresome.

A big part of Hawks' "Old Firm" will soon have left the building. and

 

[Bumps"N"Grins]

View attachment 398850
Has probably already been done, 2nd best Sledge ever getting the well deserved Brownlow from the cheats is 1st.
The best midfielder of his generation imo. Its sad to see current legends retire. As he puts all of his determination, hard work and intelligence into his new career, I have no doubts that he will succeed there as well. A true champion.

If that was the 2nd best sledge, what was the 1st.

 

[Jane Doe]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...n/news-story/4596c31491535bb553eb79dcba72bbcd

Appalling article by that drunk turd Robinson. Disgraceful that the Herald Sun allow that to be printed when one of the game's greatest players retires.

Written by a salty essendon supporter. How he is the chief footy writer astounds me

 

[Billyc]

I don't think there has been a more disrespected and underrated great of the game by the media. For whatever reason (I suspect because like Clarko he had little regard or respect for them) the media hated him. Like Clarko Sam never cared much about that but the really unfortunate thing is that the media moulds perception so opposition fans hated him too.

All Australian is essentially a media award. Nothing shows the pointlessness of that award more than the fact that Mitchell received it only 3 times as the most consistent midfielder of the last decade. Another media voted award - the Norm Smith - eluded him when he could easily have won 2 (should have won it in 2014 for mine).

His retirement has been met with calls of sniper and unsociable, "love him or hate him" despite missing just 1 game to suspension in over 300. That's the sort of record that has media types suggesting Dangerfield should be allowed to murder people on the footy field because he's a ball player.

Mitchell was the ultimate ball player. He won more of it when it mattered than anyone else. His finals record is astonishing - how many games over 30 touches in finals? This hasn't been reported even in retirement.

He was suspended for 1 game in his career yet copped rubbish from taggers almost every week (remember the media rubbish about "why don't they tag him" every time he dominated rather than celebrating it like they do Ablett, Dangerfield, Selwood etc). Meanwhile the likes of Steve Johnson rack up massive suspensions - let's see how his retirement is reported later in the year.

Success breeds contempt but there was more than that with Mitchell. Hodge didn't cop the same treatment. Hodge's retirement was met with overwhelmingly positive sentiments when in truth Hodgey crossed the line more often than Mitchell.

Mitchell should be remembered as the most professional footballer of his era. From the day he arrived at Hawthorn and told Shane Crawford to let him know if he ever did extra training, to not drinking / partying like his young teammates to watching videos of rival players to pick up new tricks - he was obsessed with self improvement. And it showed - he improved year on year into his 30s, culminating in the 2014 and 2015 finals series, in which he was masterful.

Absolute champion of the game who never got the external credits he deserved - even now in retirement. It annoys me, I won't lie. He deserved better but I doubt he cares much. A Clarkson soldier to the very end (regardless of where he now plays)

But there is one honour the media and the haters can never take from him - he was, throughout our era of dominance, the best player in the best team of the modern era. That sums up his true standing. Legend.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

so why link it and get him the clicks?

I agree. This forum can accept a lot of the blame for Robbo's ubiquity. The only reason I know what he's saying is because I read it in here.

 

[Agent Smith]

If that was the 2nd best sledge, what was the 1st.

Read the post again.

 

[cs61]

so why link it and get him the clicks?

I've heard this argument a fair few times in terms of bad media coverage, so I feel it time to retort:

The reason its important to damn and condemn such pathetic writing and pathetic work on AFL 360 last night, hiding beyond the notion of journalism, is because of the power of the media to shape the opinions of those who read or view it. It also serves as a historical record that people will refer to in later years, like or not. Mark Robinson is editor of the Herald Sun, the most widely read newspaper for AFL readers in Victoria, and what he writes will greatly shape the opinions of the readers who have not bothered to find out for themselves. There are already many opposition supporters who label Mitchell "dirty" and a "thug", and Robinson has been the main person in the media leading that charge. Those who spout the term, if you ask them, "name one other incident except for the reprimand Mitchell received (with no weeks suspension) you can think of, and no one will be able to name any other incident. The reason for that is that is was overplayed for the whole year by Mark Robinson and the Herald Sun, to the point that when anybody heard Sam Mitchell's name all they thought about was his cork action.

We have seen the worst of Mark Robinson ever since the Essendon supplement scandal, and here his hypocrisy is highlighted to the Nth degree in the way he depicts Sam Mitchell as the one crossing the boundaries, while he continuously leapt to the defence of his beloved Essendon, who were found guilty of crossing the definition of sporting boundaries and were suspended for doping charges by WADA. Essendon were highly negligent, but he would not listen to one argument about why they had done wrong, and irresponsibly used his position of power to put forward his Essendon supporter views, and again he is one of the main reasons people are so confused about what occurred in the supplement scandal because of his complete inability to put forward both sides of the argument across. He should be called out for abusing his position of power, and ridiculed for it.

There have been two times in the last two seasons Mark Robinson has had a chance to honour Mitchell. Once was last year in his 300th, and he used the words "he is dirty, no doubt about that", and kept asking, "Is he well Liked" over and over. Add that to his carry on last night, and there is no doubt he had a score to settle once again in leaping to the defence of his beloved Essendon; how dare anyone ridicule them for being drug cheats, even though they were found guilty as being drug cheats. What a petulant reaction to then decide to settle the score by degrading Mitchell on retirement, because of holding a grudge.

Matthew Lloyd to this day thinks he played an important role when he illegally broke Brad Sewell's jaw with a vicious and dangerous bump, and got suspended for 5 weeks. It was close to Sewell's eye socket, and was incredibly dangerous, and Lloyd admits was deliberate. Lloyd still thinks to this day it was the 'turning point' of the game, and thinks he did what he had to to get a win. Now, compare how Robbo reported that incident, to Sam Mitchell's lifting of his leg when opponents go to brace contact and someone copping a bit of corked thigh. In the Llyod incident Herald Sun and Co attacked Clarko's reaction to Lloyd as digraceful, rather than the incident itself. I know which one is far far worse, but which one did Robbo and the media decide to highlight to degrade the player?

If anyone has seen Sam Mitchell's career, they would describe him as the best contested player of the modern era, tough as the came to continually put his head over the ball despite constant off the ball antics, and unbelievable skills under pressure. Just kept improving every year and was playing elite footy up to last year, and is up there with any midfielder to have played in the last 10 years. Robbo has tried to condense all of that into 2 incidents, because he can't fathom that someone took a pot shot at his club, and that is not good enough from someone in his position of power, and he should be told as such.

People don't have the right to never be offended, but people do have the right to be offended. When you are offended with blatant manipulation of the press to meet your own personal agenda, than you have every right to speak up, and voice that issue, as change only occurs from action not passive acceptance. Disgraceful writing and effort on TV last night, and shouldn't be allowed to use the term 'journalist' to refer to what he does for a living.

 

[cyrilicious]

Yes, Thank You Sam

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/video/2017-08-02/thank-you-sam

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/2017-08-02/congratulations-sam-mitchell

they included the shane tuck!! that tackle saved clarkos job. if we had lost that game who knows what would have happened