Wreck It Ralph: Time for Hawks to jump headfirst into succession and not lose out on Sam Mitchell

This off-season could shape the Hawthorn Football Club for the next decade. And it will all start in a crucial meeting with Alastair Clarkson.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MAY 16: Sam Mitchell senior coach of Box Hill speaks to players during the round five VFL match between Box Hill and North Melbourne at Box Hill City Oval on May 16, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Kelly Defina/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

In 13 weeks time, Hawthorn will meet with Alastair Clarkson to make a decision that will set the club’s direction for the next decade.

As the Hawks have repeatedly stated, there is no official succession plan for Sam Mitchell to take over at some stage.

But what is increasingly apparent is the Hawks believe Sam Mitchell could not just be a senior AFL coach, but a coach of extraordinary skill and promise.

Watch the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. Every match of every round Live on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >

Will Alastair Clarkson stay to be part of a Hawks rebuild?

Their new head of football, Rob McCartney, said as much on Saturday.

His mentor, David Parkin, believes Mitchell is in the top two or three football brains across the AFL, current coaches included.

Clarkson, contracted to the end of 2022, will discuss his future with the club and his part in that rebuild.

The questions from the Hawks bosses, from president Jeff Kennett to CEO Justin Reeves to McCartney, will be simple.

Do you have any interest in looking around at rival clubs?

Do you want to follow through on this most challenging rebuild?

And critically, do you want to sign a long-term contract of around three years that locks us in past 18 seasons and into a third decade?

If the answer to that final question is yes, the Hawks have the easiest solution in footy.

Hawthorn trusts Clarkson’s history, signs him to 2025 and Mitchell likely becomes a senior coach elsewhere.

Should Clarkson stay or go?

But what happens if Clarkson only wants to fulfil that 2022 contract then look around?

Or sign a one-year contract to 2023 that sees Mitchell likely move on, with Clarkson a chance to join him elsewhere in quick succession.

It is why the Hawks shouldn’t be afraid to formalise a succession plan.

Or even be prepared to risk losing Clarkson for the final one or two seasons of his storied coaching career at Hawthorn if they truly believe Mitchell is their coach for the next decade, and next premiership charge.

Clarkson himself should realise if he does have aspirations elsewhere, the coaching handover is the perfect way to exit Hawthorn with good grace to explore what lies ahead.

CEO Justin Reeves was asked last week about a so-called Kirribilli Agreement, as it was remarked the original one between Paul Keating and Bob Hawke had never come to fruition anyway.

But succession plans have worked wonders at AFL clubs - from Paul Roos to John Longmire, to Roos to Simon Goodwin. In dozens of senior management positions, whether those plans went announced or not.

Just not at Collingwood.

Sam Mitchell is considered an AFL coach-in-waiting.

Of course, the main reason was Mick Malthouse never wanted to go.

But just as critically, the Pies were deep in a premiership sweet spot.

Every failed season under Buckley was a reminder of what could have been under Malthouse.

Hawthorn is deep in a rebuild that, to be frank, might take five seasons.

Hawthorn will likely be poor to mediocre, but on the upswing, in coming years regardless of the coach, so few Hawks supporters will wonder what might have been under Clarkson’s tutelage.

And Mitchell is given the perfect honeymoon period to grow himself if the remaining queries are his age - 38 - and inexperience after only four years of assistant coaching.

Buckley was handed a premiership list - albeit a badly behaved one pining for their former coach - and never had a chance to ease into footy’s hottest seat.

AFL coaching legend Parkin has long mentored Mitchell, and believes the coaching handover at the end of 2022 is the right path for his club.

Nathan Buckley never had a chance to ease into footy’s hottest seat.

“If I was a club now, whatever club, and was looking for a coach in waiting and I have seen him at work, I think Mitchell would be in the top two or three across Australian football in this country,” he told ABC Radio on Sunday.

“I think Al probably will take another year (at Hawthorn) and no doubt Mitch will be courted.

“He has a fantastic understanding of the game. If I was the Hawthorn football club, he would be next in line and that’s the likely scenario. A couple of other clubs will be into Mitch and he might have to make up his mind where he is going to go.

“For Alastair and Mitch and the Hawthorn football club, that’s the sequence and handover that would be right for all parties.”

McCartney said on Saturday of Mitchell: “Sam hasn’t made his way into senior coaching yet but I am pretty confident he’s going to be a pretty good senior coach.

“Clarko has proven himself. What I can say is Clarko is fully invested in his rebuild, he has got his hands dirty, he’s on track with our players and doing a lot more one on one. I think we will see Sam Mitchell coach at AFL level and we have got a pretty good coach at the moment.”

Kevin Sheedy left Essendon after 27 years and broke new ground as the inaugural coach of GWS.

Clarkson might want to chase flags, he might want to coach an expansion side at one stage (Tasmania?), he might want to challenge himself in high performance at another sport.

Sam Mitchell has plenty of AFL folk singing his praises.

The worst-case scenario is the Hawks don’t address the elephant in the room, Clarkson digs in for 2022, Mitchell leaves to coach elsewhere, then they lose both by the end of 2022.

Three months out, Hawthorn knows the score and is prepared for the transition ahead.

Nothing guarantees Mitchell will be a premiership coach, but Hawthorn believes deep down he has what it takes.

They carved out a successful dynasty through bold calculated risks and they shouldn’t stop now.

Originally published as Wreck It Ralph: Time for Hawks to jump headfirst into succession and not lose out on Sam Mitchell