AFL great Jimmy Bartel has heaped praise on Sam Mitchell after the Hawthorn coach helped snap his club’s six-year finals drought with a resounding win over North Melbourne in the final round. And the three-time premiership winner singled out a fiery spray from Mitchell early in the season that sparked a stunning run of form for the Hawks and an eventual seventh-placed finish at the end of the home-and-away season.

Hawthorn will square off against the Western Bulldogs in an elimination final at the MCG on Friday week, having finished their third AFL season under Mitchell with a win-loss record of 14-9. Mitchell is a club legend at Hawthorn after winning four premierships with the Hawks but his first two seasons as coach ended in 13th and 16h-placed finishes on the ladder, with the 41-year-old overseeing a transitional period at the club.

The Hawks still appeared to be a work in progress in 2024 after slumping to a 1-6 record early in the season, with Mitchell called out over a fierce quarter-time tirade towards Jack Scrimshaw, during a loss to the Sydney Swans. The incident made headlines at the time and Mitchell defended himself over a wave of backlash after insisting Scrimshaw “enjoys being coached like that”.

Few could have predicted after the explosive scenes that the Hawks would turn around their form so drastically that they’d end up playing finals footy in 2024. In fact, the Hawks’ record after Mitchell’s spray reads 13 wins for just three losses, with Bartel singling it out as a turning point for the club’s fortunes this season. Mitchell proved he wasn’t prepared to compromise his standards for anyone and would happily put players on notice if they weren’t putting in.