Fresh details on Sam Mitchell’s ‘carnage’ US trip as Hawks coach breaks silence

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has broken his silence and detailed the ‘carnage’ that unfolded during his family trip to the United States.

Fresh details emerge from Sam Mitchell’s horror US trip. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Fresh details have emerged on Sam Mitchell’s calamitous trip the United States, with the Hawthorn coach and his family reportedly victims of a “targeted burglary.”

Mitchell touched back down in Melbourne on Friday after a disrupted holiday with his family that saw him spend a week in a New York hospital with a serious bout of pneumonia.

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Speaking on SEN on Monday morning, journalist Sam Edmund shed light on the second mishap of the family trip where it reportedly had luggage stolen.

“This trip got worse before he returned home to Melbourne. Aside from spending seven nights either side of Christmas Day in hospital in New York with pneumonia, which was disastrous, with his wife and three kids,” Edmund began on SEN Breakfast.

“After leaving New York, the Mitchell family were in Los Angeles and we can tell you that, unbelievably, the Mitchell family had some luggage stolen, what police say might have been a suspected carefully planned robbery, almost a targeted burglary.

Mitchell has returned to Melbourne after a turbulent trip to the US (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

“Some electronic stuff was taken and typical stuff, but also Sam’s passport was taken and maybe a couple of other passports in the family were taken as well.

“This is on the day I believe they were due to fly back to Melbourne as well, so all sorts of carnage.”

The Mitchell family’s luck however took a turn from that point, with police retrieving the stolen luggage, while their delayed flight spared them valuable time.

“The police incredibly were able to get it back on the same day,” Edmund continued.

“So when the next piece of bad luck happened, a delayed flight, in the end the delayed flight helped them because I’m told it was a pretty wild trip to the airport to make the flight by the time they got their passports and all their belongings back from the robbery.

“So understandably some very stressful moments ... the poor bugger and family have been through hell.”

The Hawks coach went through hell in the States. Pic: Michael Klein

Upon returning to Melbourne on Friday, Mitchell spoke to Channel 7, however he wasn’t willing to speak in depth on his turbulent time away.

The Hawks boss credited his wife for looking after their children while he was sick and the medical team for helping him fight back.

“I’m feeling okay, I’m feeling better. It’s a long flight, so you’re not getting me at my best, but recovering and feeling better,” Mitchell said.

“The story will come out in due course, probably not ready to quite talk about it yet. But there was a rough few days.

“My wife was juggling three kids in a hotel in a foreign city and me being in hospital, I think it was seven nights in the end.

“A lot of really good people helped and the medical system was fantastic over there. Fortunate and pleased to be home, I can start to recover now.

“I’ll get back to work eventually, but no rush. Really happy with how the boys have come back, I’m obviously getting regular reports.”

Mitchell will return to Hawthorn on Monday in a part-time capacity.

Originally published as Fresh details on Sam Mitchell’s ‘carnage’ US trip as Hawks coach breaks silence