2020 Trade & Free Agency Spotlight | Tom Mitchell

Written by Joseph Addamo

Throughout the 2020 off-season, Blue Abroad will be providing content to cover everything you need to know about the Carlton Football Club.

Looking to take the next step in 2021, the success of this off-season’s recruiting is critical. We will be looking at various opposition players on the open market that could add another dimension to the current crop of players.

This is the Blue Abroad Trade & Free Agency Player Spotlight for Hawthorn’s #3 – Tom Mitchell.

WHO IS TOM MITCHELL?

Junior Club: Claremont, WAFL
AFL Selection: Pick 21 (F/S Selection), 2011 AFL National Draft by the Sydney Swans
Age (@ Round 1, 2021): 27
Height: 182cm
Weight: 84kg
Position(s): Midfielder
Career Games: 128
Career Goals: 63

WHAT IS TOM MITCHELL’S STRONGEST ATTRIBUTE?

A 2x Peter Crimmins Medalist, 2x All Australian, AFLPA MVP and a Brownlow Medalist, Tom Mitchell is one of the league’s elite ball magnets. Coming off an unfortunate broken leg which forced him to miss the 2019 season, Mitchell picked up where he left off in 2020 by finding the football and bringing him teammates into the contest.

In his career to date among midfielders, Mitchell rates as elite for disposals per game (28.9), effective disposals (20.6), ground ball gets (8.7), stoppage clearances (3.1), tackles (5.9) and pressure acts (20.4). He also ranks above average for total clearances (4.8), score involvements (5.9), metres gained (329.9) and inside 50s (3.5).

It’s no secret as to why Mitchell is such a valued commodity in Hawthorn’s midfield. His stoppage work to get the ball out to teammates in space is where is biggest strength lies, and would be a fitting addition to any midfield, including the Blues’.

WHERE WOULD TOM MITCHELL FIT IN CARLTON’S STARTING 22?

Mitchell would sit right beside the likes of Patrick Cripps, Ed Curnow and Will Setterfield at stoppages and centre bounces. Immediately, Mitchell would be given the number 1 mantle as a possession-getter among the Carlton midfield group. He would be the accumulator in this unit that looks to distribute out to the back of stoppages.

In his 2018 Brownlow-winning year, Mitchell broke all kinds of records as a midfielder. He had two 50-plus disposal games, gathered a record 848 disposals across the season, averaged 8 clearances, 6.3 tackles and kicked 13 goals. It showed how complete a midfielder Mitchell truly is. Comments made by Nathan Buckley about the effectiveness of Mitchell’s disposals earlier in the season were put to bed after Mitchell was duly recognized as the AFL’s best & fairest as well as the AFLPA’s pick for the 2018 MVP.

Carlton do not have a midfielder like Tom Mitchell. There is no other Tom Mitchell across the competition.

WHAT IS TOM MITCHELL’S CONTRACT STATUS?

In 2019, Mitchell committed to a four-year contract that has him tied to the Hawks until the end of 2023. However, after a tumultuous 2020 season where a rebuild now seem closer than a flag, Alastair Clarkson may be up to his old trick on the trade table again.

After labelling his midfield group as “fourth rate” earlier in the season, taking aim at Tom Mitchell, James Worpel and Shaun Burgoyne specifically, Clarkson has stirred the pot for what could become an intriguing off-season at the Hawks.

On face value, it wouldn’t seem likely that the Hawks would look to move someone of Mitchell’s caliber on. However, with the regressions of O’Meara and Worpel’s games since Mitchell rejoined the midfield group in 2020, would Hawthorn be more effective without him? We’ve seen Clarkson move on champions of the Hawthorn Football Club before. Who says Tom Mitchell can’t be the next victim of Clarko’s cuts?

REALISTIC ACQUISITION RATING

4 / 10

PREDICTED TRADE & CONTRACT VALUE