So it turns out Sam Mitchell gives opponents corkies, kind of a lot.
The Hawks ex-captain was fined $1000 by the Match Review Panel for his knee on Fremantle star Nat Fyfe during their 72-point win in Launceston on Sunday.
As the two players collided in a contest, Mitchell appeared to bring his knee up into Fyfe’s thigh, forcing the Brownlow favourite off the field for treatment.
The incident raised eyebrows due to a similar clash with Taylor Walker in round 12, which the Hawks won 118-45.
As the Adelaide skipper put a bump on to shepherd Mitchell from Rory Sloane, the Hawks half-back again brought his knee up, striking Walker in the hip and forcing him to be subbed out of the game.
Fox Footy’s AFL 360 dug deeper into the vault last night to produce footage of an off-the-ball incident where Mitchell appears to run full pace past Giants prize recruit Ryan Griffen, kneeing him in the thigh on his way through.
When viewed in isolation, the Fyfe and Walker clashes are certainly questionable, but perhaps able to be explained away by the exigencies of fast-paced, modern football.
The addition of the Griffen corky, which appears to be unprovoked and indefensible act, gives more credence to the argument that this might be a pattern of behaviour – or deliberate sniping tactic to take out opposition’s most dangerous players.
Given Mitchell was the posterboy of the “unsociable” Hawks in 2008, it’s no surprise that there’s been intense scrutiny of the Hawk’s actions.
For his part, Mitchell told Hawks TV,
“I looked at the vision that the MRP look at and I can understand why it’s not a good look and it’s not a good thing for the game,”
“Although it’s not my intention in that situation to hurt the other person, it’s purely just to protect myself.”
The 32 year old said he was willing to change his technique in off-the-ball contests,
“I guess the game has given me the feedback that I need to change the way that I go about doing that and the mechanism I use to protect myself,” he said.
Mitchell’s defence that it’s merely an issue of technique has run a bit hollow with some members of the AFL media.
Leigh Matthews could understand where Mitchell was coming from, but wasn’t fully buying his excuse,
“Normally when contact comes you kind of turn your body, but in these both occasions his arms were in front of himself and his knee went forward, that’s the way he protected himself.
But I don’t think you’re allowed to protect yourself with your knee up.”
On AFL 360, Mark Robinson was more scathing,
“It’s not about technique. I’m sorry Sam, after three times I’m starting to believe that you’re deliberately doing that,” he said on Tuesday night.
“It’s not about a protection mechanism, it’s about hurting your opposition and it absolutely has to stop.”
jax
Guest
Priddis has won 1 x B&F and he's finished 2nd three times and only by a few votes on each occasion. He finished equal with Glass one year but lost on a count back so the differential in minor. He's 3 years younger than Mitchell as well. He had to compete against guys like Glass, Cox, LeCras, Kennedy and Mackenzie who are the equal of the names, or arguably even better than the Hawks players mentioned. Hodge has missed his fair share of games along the way as has LeCras. Some will argue that WC wasn't winning flags and that's fair enough. I would argue that WC was playing deep into finals in a few of those of years and that the list was always in a lot better shape than the footy community believed that it was, hence their 'surprising' turnaround this year. I'd still give Mitchell the edge. I'd just like some people to realise that Mitchell isn't in a league all on his own when it comes to small, slow, nuggety in and under type players which is what Gecko was trying to say.
jax
Guest
Mitchell does shade Priddis. I never disputed it.
Don Freo
Guest
Purple Pav.
lethal
Guest
Just re-watched '08 GF. Awesome. Go Hawks!
AB
Guest
And before Don mentions Pav's countless B&F's for Freo, I should point out that I'm talking about players winning B&Fs for top clubs. As good as Pav is, Freo were strugglers and also-rans in many of his B&F seasons.
AB
Guest
Priddis is a top player, but I think Mitchell shades him at this point in their careers. Priddis has the Brownlow, of course, but Mitchell's probably unlucky not to have one as well (he's come close a few times). But the thing that does it for me is Mitchell's four B&Fs in a very strong team. Would've been five if he hadn't been injured last year - Lewis only stepped up when Mitchell went down. And he'd be the frontrunner for another one this year. Not bad for a short, slow bloke in team with stars like Hodge, Roughead, Franklin, Burgoyne, etc. Regardless of what people might think of Hawthorn or Mitchell, it's hard to think of another current player who's won so many B&Fs for one of the top clubs. I think Swan and Goodes have three each; and Ablett only won two with Geelong.
Don Freo
Guest
As I say, people remember Wrensted (not Wrenstead) for his missed shot in the final against Melbourne. He was fantastic by foot and super quick and accurate by hand. You might have the wrong bloke. Wrensted didn't get many games. Toddy didn't like East Freo players.
Gecko
Guest
You Perth folks would assert that Alex Ischenko was skillful, just to spark a debate. Priddis is a top player - up there for consistency with Ablett and Nathan Jones - but let's not get into a debate about his skill level. As for Murray Wrenstead, his skills were more on a par with Shaun McManus. Never really figured out how that bloke could manage so many games.
Don Freo
Guest
Hasleby was magnificent. One of the most consistent, high level performers around. If Connolly and Harvey used Hasle in the midfield more instead of Pav...Hasleby would be known outside of Freo. He was better than Mitchell and quite a bit better than Priddis. John Todd just did not understand Wrensted. Todd, like Malthouse, burnt really good players.
jax
Guest
You say some really sensible things and some not so. I suppose we all do but seriously Wrenstead and Haselby weren't better than Priddis and Mitchell. Williams retired in 1997 and Mitchell was drafted in 2001 so the mould was never broken, it just had a 4 year sabbatical.
Don Freo
Guest
Still some people who don't know how good Priddis is. Priddis and Mitchell are (almost) as good as Williams and Murray Wrensted (he's always misremembered as that bloke who missed that goal...he was not fast but just great in and under, lightning hands and an even faster game sense). The best slow, fat bloke of them all was Paul Hasleby.
jax
Guest
Mitchell is better at some things and Priddis is better at others but they are similar in stature, speed etc which is why I named him. They are both of simalar moulds for mine. Mithcell is more skilful with his disposal by foot no question but Priddis is as good with his hands and his vision is right up there with the best. Priddis regularly stands up and allows 1-3 people to tackle him so as to draw the men, he waits for the right moment then dishes the ball off with precision under enormous pressure so as to release his teammates. Not many players can stand up in a tackle like Priddis. You only have to look at the player leaderboard for disposals, tackles, contested possessions etc to see some of what Priddis can do. Go back 3-4 years and you'll find he's up near the top every year. Mitchell is a great player but he's not he only one.
Gecko
Guest
Back in Williams' day, there was no mould to break. Clubs recruited footballers first, not athletes. But agreed, Williams had sublime skills. As for Priddis having the same skill level as Mitchell, surely you're joking.
jax
Guest
Greg Williams broke the mould long before Mitchell, you're getting ahead of yourself, Priddis is another one and he's about the same age as Mitchell.
jax
Guest
Cousins was tagged and scragged as much as anybody ever has been and I can't recall him ever resorting to dirty tactics. You can say all that you want about his off-field behaviour but he always played the ball, incredible player with a great on-field temperament.
vocans
Guest
Up there with the best but nowhere near the fairest.
Gecko
Guest
Mitchell has been great for AFL footy for over a decade. Broke the mould of recruiting athletes. Was in and under but also sublimely skilled and blessed with great vision. Every week he gets physically assaulted and scragged more than most players (Ablett excepted). He's the bullied rather than the bully. However, if he's deliberately corking blokes, give him a week off (Dalgety notes he was already warned about this many years ago) and admit he's no angel. Then let's look forward to seeing him in action again after that. He's great to watch.
Don Freo
Guest
Nah..not you...unless the spirit of your comment was to defend him. Just thought I'd characterize the brown and gold response in general so far.
Steve
Guest
Haha...I would be quite proud of myself (if I was Mitchell) if the only reason they went on that regime was to resist the pain of a corky! Pretty sure I admitted his actions were deliberate, so not quite sure how you got off on a tangent there.
alicesprings
Guest
How would you describe a player that resorts to injuring other players in order to win?? Am i missing coming NYH..do you think what he does is in the spirit of the game??