Mitchell reflects on Hawks' heartbreak, vows improvement after prelim loss

Sam Mitchell sat with the weight of it still on him—a preliminary final loss to Brisbane that had come down to moments, decisions, and the kind of margin that haunts a coach through the off-season. Days had passed since the game, enough time for the initial shock to settle into something more reflective, though he made clear he was still working through it. The Hawks had finished fourth, up from eighth the year before. They had fought back from a third-quarter deficit when Brisbane's centre bounces turned into goals. They had taken the lead late. And then it was over.

Mitchell spoke about the umpiring with the careful precision of a man who knows he cannot change the outcome but can shape how it is understood. He acknowledged that a free kick to Jarman Impey in the final moments was clearly the correct call—a moment where the margin between winning and losing came down to an official's judgment. He noted that four of Brisbane's eight centre-bounce goals involved free kicks, plays where isolation and individual matchups determined the result. He did not call for suspensions or demand systemic change. Instead, he spoke about the umpires' difficult job and the respect they deserve, from junior footy all the way to the AFL. "Those individual moments, if they come down to them there's always going to be some luck involved," he said.

But the loss was not the only thing that had soured in the days after. Some fans had thrown objects at other spectators as the game ended—bottles, debris, and according to one account Mitchell had read, nachos thrown at an eight-year-old child. He had not witnessed it himself; he was coming down from the coaches box when it happened. What struck him was the violation of something he believed was fundamental to Australian rules football: the ability to take anyone to the game, to sit anywhere, to feel safe. "I think we lost that for a moment after the game," he said. The fans involved would face fines and whatever other consequences the league determined. Mitchell did not speculate on whether suspensions should follow. He simply noted that emotions had gotten the better of people in a moment when they should not have.

On the season itself, Mitchell offered a measured assessment. The Hawks had taken a small step forward—from eighth to fourth—but those margins were thin. A single point in an Easter Monday game would have changed the trajectory. The team had managed injuries well, losing Josh Day before the season started and Conor Nash during it, but otherwise staying relatively healthy. The VFL affiliate, Box Hill, had won the premiership, which spoke to the depth of the squad. There was optimism there, genuine optimism, even as the preliminary final loss remained the only thing that would stick with people.

He spoke about Will Day, who had cramped up and struggled to move well, having missed most of the season and not had the preparation the other players had. Mitchell expected Day to have a full pre-season and be ready for next year. He talked about the team's approach to improving the list through trades and free agency, knowing that every other team near the top would be doing the same. He mentioned needing rest himself after a couple of years of hard travel, and acknowledged that his family had given up a lot for him to do this job.

When asked whether he would watch the Grand Final between Brisbane and the other finalist, Mitchell hesitated. "If it was today, I don't think I could bring myself to get there," he said. But there would be a couple more days of recovery and emotional regulation. Both teams were very good. It would be a great Grand Final.

To the Hawks fans, he offered thanks for their support across the year. The organisation was not looking for sympathy or excuses. They would look in the mirror, improve themselves, and try to get further next year. Two preliminary final losses in a row meant this was not the end of the journey. It meant they had to be better.