Tom Mitchell

[barry]

Well done Tom.

[goswannies]

Appreciated Tom’s (albeit promoted by Bruce) reflection on fond times at the Swans.

[aardvark]

He spoke well.

[liz]

Congrats Tom.

[Ludwig]

Tom has that same relentless unwavering determination that we saw with Goodesy. No wonder he's so good.

[Markwebbos]

I didn’t hear this interview but this is Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell’s explanation for why he left the Swans. Is anyone prepared to look at his TOG% stats to see if he’s telling the truth?

Lack of opportunity forced Tom Mitchell to leave Sydney

Hawthorn ball-magnet Tom Mitchell says a lack of opportunity, and the desire to return to Victoria, were the factors behind his decision to leave Sydney.

“It was during the 2016 season and I obviously loved my time at the Swans and we had a pretty strong campaign that year, just losing the Grand Final to the Western Bulldogs,” Mitchell told SEN Breakfast.

“I remember throughout the year I was very invested with the club and some of my mates are there and still are there, so I really wanted to win that premiership.

“I just had a funny feeling during the year that I lacked opportunity... I was either playing in the reserves, and the games I was in the seniors I’d come off the bench every quarter or play low game time.

“I had a little bit more to offer - fortunately enough an offer came from Hawthorn to come and play a role in the midfield.

“I’d always wanted to come back to Melbourne eventually anyway so it felt like the right fit at the time.”

[Ludwig]

I
“I just had a funny feeling during the year that I lacked opportunity... I was either playing in the reserves, and the games I was in the seniors I’d come off the bench every quarter or play low game time.

“I had a little bit more to offer - fortunately enough an offer came from Hawthorn to come and play a role in the midfield.

“I’d always wanted to come back to Melbourne eventually anyway so it felt like the right fit at the time.”

I think this is ridiculous. He played every game in the seniors in 2016, not the reserves, so I don't know what he's talking about. I don't know what the game times were, but he managed to rack up the third most disposals at the club.

He may have spent less time on ball than he wanted to, but that was reasonable given the Swans' midfield talent (JPK, Parker, Hanners, Jack). There was a legitimate question of how we would shuffle on ball assignments by taking out some of our AA midfielders in favour of Tom.

There's probably something to this nonetheless. At the Swans, Tom was one of many good midfielders. At Hawthorn, he became the main man. More money. Number one midfielder. It's a better fit for Tom. It's a shame that we lost such a good player, but it illustrates that we had too many of his type of player at the club and a rebalance was necessay, but it did come with the loss of a very good player.

[AB Swannie]

I didn’t hear this interview but this is Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell’s explanation for why he left the Swans. Is anyone prepared to look at his TOG% stats to see if he’s telling the truth?

According to afltables, Mitchell played every game of the 2016 season and average 80% TOG. In comparison, Parker averaged 88%, JPK and Hanners averaged 85%, and Jack averaged 79%.

When I was listening to SEN some time after the interview, the consensus from Tim Watson, Garry Lyon, and Sam Edmund was that it was likely clubs were making these sorts of moves 1 and 2 years in advance and that Hawthorn were likely to have approached Tom before the 2016 season. They didn't seem to think that the numbers matched the lack of opportunity dialogue from Tom.

This does seem to make sense to me. List managers are forward planning one and two years in advance. We are hopefully doing that with either Gaff this year or someone next year.

[caj23]

He gave the diplomatic answer which is fine, he could hardly come out and say that he moved for $$$ without looking like a douche

[Markwebbos]

According to afltables, Mitchell played every game of the 2016 season and average 80% TOG. In comparison, Parker averaged 88%, JPK and Hanners averaged 85%, and Jack averaged 79%.

When I was listening to SEN some time after the interview, the consensus from Tim Watson, Garry Lyon, and Sam Edmund was that it was likely clubs were making these sorts of moves 1 and 2 years in advance and that Hawthorn were likely to have approached Tom before the 2016 season. They didn't seem to think that the numbers matched the lack of opportunity dialogue from Tom.

This does seem to make sense to me. List managers are forward planning one and two years in advance. We are hopefully doing that with either Gaff this year or someone next year.

I think you are in to something. Tom’s answer would make a lot more sense if the Hawk’s initial approach was during the time when he was still playing reserves. That or the experience of racking up 50+ in the NEAFL and still not getting a game may be burnt into his memory.

[AnnieH]

Ugh.
He'd not pass the no dickheads test these days.

- - - Updated - - -

I think this is ridiculous. He played every game in the seniors in 2016, not the reserves, so I don't know what he's talking about. I don't know what the game times were, but he managed to rack up the third most disposals at the club.

He may have spent less time on ball than he wanted to, but that was reasonable given the Swans' midfield talent (JPK, Parker, Hanners, Jack). There was a legitimate question of how we would shuffle on ball assignments by taking out some of our AA midfielders in favour of Tom.

There's probably something to this nonetheless. At the Swans, Tom was one of many good midfielders. At Hawthorn, he became the main man. More money. Number one midfielder. It's a better fit for Tom. It's a shame that we lost such a good player, but it illustrates that we had too many of his type of player at the club and a rebalance was necessay, but it did come with the loss of a very good player.

It's all about Tom.
Always has been... always will be.
See how long he stays at Hawthorn... as soon as someone offers him more money, he'll be gone.

[Nico]

I think Tom was highly influenced by his father. Barry was somewhat of a football mercenary. He left us for both Collingwood and Carlton and followed the money. I remember Barry sitting in the stands at a Swans game grinning away, then before you know it Tom was gone. Did Barry at some stage have a coaching role at Hawthorn?

[goswannies]

I enjoyed that Tom mentioned his Uncle Trevor. Trevor actually played Reserves with the Swans too

[barry]

I think Tom was highly influenced by his father. Barry was somewhat of a football mercenary. He left us for both Collingwood and Carlton and followed the money. I remember Barry sitting in the stands at a Swans game grinning away, then before you know it Tom was gone. Did Barry at some stage have a coaching role at Hawthorn?

I'm not sure you can call Barry a mercenary. When he left the swans, a lot of people were leaving what was essentially a sinking ship. He probably chased $$ in the last year or two of his contract, just to prolong his career. Quite common these days.

[Steve]

As others have said, it's just not true to say he played reserves or had low game time in 2016. So it is a real stretch for Mitchell to state that as the major reason for leaving.

Even if he was thinking that way prior, playing a full season in 2016 really took that basic issue off the table by the time a new contract was being negotiated.

Having said that, he was behind other players with us, and aside from a lot of money, Hawthorn were offering a more prominent role. He would have still been a very good player, but there's no doubt he wouldn't have reached the heights in the last 2 years if he was still with us.