West Coast to hold Sam Mitchell to his contract as Hawthorn and Carlton attempt to lure him home

FURIOUS West Coast will attempt to keep prized assistant coach Sam Mitchell to his coaching contract next season as former club Hawthorn, Carlton and St Kilda attempt to lure him home.

Sam Mitchell during his playing days with West Coast.

FURIOUS West Coast will attempt to keep prized assistant Sam Mitchell to his coaching contract next season.

Mitchell, 35, wants to return home to Melbourne for family reasons at season’s end with two years remaining on his current deal.

Carlton, Hawthorn and St Kilda are believed to have an interest in talking to Brownlow medallist Mitchell about his coaching plans.

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But West Coast has stood firm on Mitchell’s future in recent days, telling the champion midfielder in Hobart over the weekend it has no plans to release him.

The Herald Sun understands the club has instead made clear to Mitchell he could possibly work out of its Melbourne office at Docklands next season if necessary.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson last week revealed Mitchell told him via text message “Yeah we are coming home Clarko, but now is not the right time to talk.”

Sam Mitchell addresses Jack Redden, Scott Lycett, Mark Hutchings, Elliot Yeo and Andrew Gaff at training. Picture: Getty Images

The Eagles have been emphatic they do not want to lose the club’s intellectual property to a Melbourne-based rival, after signing him on a four-year playing-coaching deal at the end of 2016.

West Coast’s strong stance on Mitchell’s contract would have the backing of the AFL Coaches’ Association and could block his desire to swap colours next season.

Clarkson last week said every Victorian club would be keen on the star ballwinner after one season as an assistant coach in the west.

“I’ve joined the queue, along with (nine) other clubs here in Melbourne if he is going to return,” Clarkson said.

“I sent him a text - and my wife did yesterday as well.

“I know Sam full well, his response to me was, ‘Yeah, we’re coming home Clarko but now’s not the right time to talk’.

“So I was put back in my box pretty quickly by Mitch.”

Mitchell is widely considered a senior coach in the making and would be one of the most sought-after assistants in the game if he could secure a departure from West Coast.

West Coast assistant coach Sam Mitchell. Picture: Megan Powell

The strength of Mitchell’s relationship with Carlton coach Brendon Bolton could also interest him in a move to Ikon Park.

Bolton and Mitchell worked closely at Hawthorn in the club’s golden premiership era.

It is understood Mitchell provided a glowing endorsement of Bolton when he applied for the coaching job in 2015.

St Kilda is also embarking on an overhaul of its coaching program and will make considerable personnel changes.

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Sydney premiership coach Paul Roos said Mitchell could look to move to a lower-placed club for the benefit of his coaching development if he can secure a release from West Coast.

“Given he has had a lot if success with Hawthorn, and West Coast has been a really strong footy club, I would suggest he goes to a bottom club, to be honest,” Roos said.

“I feel like senior coaches are often picked from the most successful clubs and you are very rarely going to go to a top club as a first-year senior coach.

“Having a body of work is really important, but I think there would be a lot of clubs after him and he will make a decision based on what suits him and his family.”

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