Spurs fan, AFL legend Sam Mitchell gets inside track at Hotspur Way

He was half the world away from home, but Spurs fan Sam Mitchell felt right at home on a recent fact-finding mission to Hotspur Way.

One of the great Australian sportsmen of the modern era, Sam was a midfielder for Melbourne-based Australian Rules Football team Hawthorn, playing over 300 matches from 2002-2016. Four times AFL champion in that time, including a treble of titles 2013-2015, Sam finished his career with a season at West Coast Eagles and coached in Perth before returning to Hawthorn as assistant coach last year.

Sam, 37, grasped the chance to spend time inside our Academy set-up, literally watching like a Hawk during a week that included a UEFA Youth League match in Belgrade and a clash against high-flying Chelsea in the Under-18 Premier League.

“It’s been fantastic, a great experience,” said Sam. “John (McDermott, our Head of Coaching & Player Development) has been very forthcoming with access, I’ve watched training, how the staff plan sessions and basically, how they go about their business.

“You want to learn from the best and the professionalism, resources and staff... it’s been fantastic. The economics of this game is completely different to the AFL, so everything you could do for a player here is possible - sports science, medical, coaching staff, travel, nutrition - and having a look at what is possible at the very, very top of one of the very, very top sports, has been fantastic.

“It’s clear that the Club is very big on teaching young players the ‘Tottenham Way’ and that’s a specific model, a specific way they build their Academy. One of the things I’ve picked up from being here is how I can teach our new players the ‘Hawthorn Way’. We do that very well, but there are little bits and pieces - some similarities, some differences - and I’ll be able to take plenty back to Hawthorn. Hopefully, while I’ve been here, I’ve been able to leave a few Hawthorn ideas as well.”

John would certainly concur with that sentiment. He said: “Sam is one of a number of visitors we’ve had in the past weeks including Malcolm Crosby (former Sunderland manager who took them to the FA Cup Final in 1991, Derby scout), Heather O’Reilly (231 caps for USA, World Cup winner, three-times Olympic champion) and cyclist Tao Geoghegan Hart (Team Ineos) who have all come in to give our players a context of what it’s like to be elite.

“Sam spent a week with us and although he’s from a different sport, his knowledge of elite behaviour, both as a player and now as a coach, added tremendously both to our players and staff.

“He was very insightful in dealing with body contact and the different body contacts used in his sport that are transferable into ours. The psychological aspect as well, Sam was drafted late and wasn’t a ‘Galactico’ at a young age, so his story was quite inspirational to our players, about how hard work and persistence pays off.

“He was with us long enough to see the natural rhythm that a football club has within a week, highs and lows, and he was able to morph into everything we did. It was very much a two-way exchange of ideas both with players and staff. We just hope he’ll come again because I thought he added a lot in the time he was here.”

Sam did it all in the AFL and admits he ‘was ready to retire’ in 2017. “I knew. I got the most out of myself. I always wanted to finish my career and say, ‘I couldn’t have done any more’ and I really finished my career thinking that was all I could get out of myself.

“I found the transition into coaching very good. I was definitely ready for the next phase and going straight into coaching, I knew what I was going to do and now I’ve been coaching for a couple of years, I find the joy and passion for it almost stronger than it was for playing.

“You see the development of youngsters and you don’t only help them as footballers, which is really the easy part, you also help them as people, make sure they are well-rounded citizens and good people and when you do that, it’s more rewarding. As a player, when you win a game, you obviously get that buzz, but it doesn’t last as long as when you really help someone.”

Win a Spurs shirt signed by Sam!

The Aussie Rules legend kindly signed a Spurs shirt for us to give away - to enter the competition, just follow the link below!