Sam Mitchell savours ‘special’ Brownlow Medal moment with his family

IT was an occasion that Sam Mitchell says won’t be replicated in a hurry, but it was one he’ll remember fondly after sharing his Brownlow moment with his three young children.

IT was the most unusual of Brownlow Medal ceremonies, a family affair unprecedented in award’s 82-year history and one that Sam Mitchell says won’t be replicated in a hurry.

As Mitchell and Trent Cotchin pair took possession of their medals, it was impossible to escape the next generation among the small but intimate gathering.

The usual glitz and glamour and corporatisation of the Brownlow Medal gave way to a hand-picked group of guests to celebrate the moment — including, uniquely, the winners’ kids.

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Mitchell’s three children — six-year-old son Smith and five-year-old twin daughters Emmerson and Scarlett — and Cotchin’s younger daughters — Harper and Mackenzie — were a part of the proceedings.

“It is pretty special,” Mitchell said.

“Not too many people are in the lucky position I am to play at 34, and have three kids who are actually going to remember a day like this.”

“I don’t think there will be another Brownlow medallist who is going to have children old enough to remember something like this.

“I tried to explain to them that this is in the top 10 days of your life really, to be able to be a Brownlow medallist doesn’t come around too often.”

The circumstances meant this was always going to be a different ceremony.

So it proved as his kids giggled infectiously as they saw themselves on the big screen, and Smith Mitchell, decked out in a little suit, proudly wore his dad’s “pretty little golden medal” around his neck.

Mitchell and his wife Lyndall invited family and friends to the lunchtime function, acknowledging those who had contributed the most to his career, which has now taken him to West Coast after 15 seasons with Hawthorn.

Sam Mitchell shares his Brownlow success with wife Lyndall and kids Smith (centre), Emmerson and Scarlett. Picture: Michael Klein

Among those in attendance were past teammates Shane Crawford and Richard Vandenberg, former Hawks president Ian Dicker, mentor David Parkin and manager Peter Lenton.

He had invited some current Hawthorn players, but they were unable to attend, due to the club’s preseason training camp at Mooloolaba.

Incredibly, the Mitchell family had been booked to be on the Sunshine Coast this week, but that changed when his shock move to West Coast was finalised in October.

Instead, the family are settled in Perth, and took their new prized possession — the 2012 Brownlow — on the flight back last night.

“Clarko (Alastair Clarkson) has them up at the training camp,” Mitchell said of his former teammates who couldn’t make it yesterday. “(He) didn’t give them the day off to come back unfortunately, and I didn’t have a lot of flexibility with the (ceremony) date.”

Asked if his former coach had contacted him, Mitchell said: “I know he is not big on individual awards. When it came out (about the Brownlow Medal) he was probably over in Kokoda, so he probably didn’t know a lot about it.”

“I caught up with him before I went over west. I bought him a nice Christmas present. I think I wrote him a nice enough card to have his wife in tears. We’re all good.

“He is up there flogging them (at Mooloolaba) while I am here sipping on one champagne.”

Mitchell has polled Brownlow votes in 104 of his 307 AFL games — the most in history — and is now one of only seven men to have won a Brownlow and captained a premiership side.

SAM MITCHELL

2012 Brownlow Medal winner

Hawthorn (2017: West Coast)

Age: 34

Games: 307

Drafted: Pick 36, 2001 national draft

Debut: 2002

Recruited from: Mooroolbark/Box Hill

Other honours

Premierships: 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015

Best-and-fairest: 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016

All-Australian: 2011, 2013, 2015

Hawthorn captain: 2008-10

Brownlow Medal - 3rd, 2015

AFL Rising Star: 2003

Liston Trophy (VFL): 2002