Coach Sam Mitchell says he feels the love from Hawthorn powerbrokers win, lose or draw because the Hawks proceed on their difficult rebuild.
Hawthorn secured their first win of the season on Saturday, upsetting former Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson’s North Melbourne.
The Hawks had been belted within the opening two rounds by Essendon and Sydney, resulting in heavy criticism round their deep record cuts.
Experienced midfielders Tom Mitchell and Jaeger O’Meara had been offloaded on the finish of final season regardless of Hawthorn ending thirteenth in 2022 with simply eight wins.
New president Andy Gowers final Saturday hit out at solutions of “tanking” to enhance their draft place this yr, calling them “utterly offensive”.
It got here simply hours earlier than the Hawks pulled off a memorable 19-point win in Launceston.
“I can’t be anything but thankful to the board and Andy and all those guys,” Mitchell mentioned on Wednesday.
“They understand and they’ve been part of the direction that we’re going and the strategic thinking, whether they were there from the start of the build or whether they’ve come in now.
“We’ve been actually exhibiting them all the things that we have completed, they usually’ve been nothing however supportive.
“The amount of text messages I got from that group after the loss(es) showed me we’re in good hands.”
Even Jordan Lewis has questioned whether or not Mitchell, his four-time Hawthorn premiership teammate, can survive the anticipated interval with out taking part in finals earlier than the dramatic record overhaul reaps rewards.
But Gowers has vowed to again in Mitchell even by means of a number of the robust instances that can seemingly observe with the youngest and least skilled record within the league.
During Clarkson’s profitable tenure between 2005 and 2021, he nonetheless frequently, and infamously, clashed with former president Jeff Kennett concerning the path of the membership.
“We’re not the first club to do this and won’t be the last and we’ve done this before successfully (from 2004-07),” he informed 3AW on Saturday.
“This rebuild has been described as a form of tanking and I take absolute exception to that and find that suggestion utterly offensive.
“You’re speaking about an ultra-competitive man (Mitchell) and would not have tanked a minute of any recreation he performed and he is in command of these boys, together with (soccer supervisor) Rob McCartney.”
Mitchell mentioned dynamic star Chad Wingard will seemingly return for Hawthorn’s Easter Monday conflict with Geelong, whereas key ahead Mitch Lewis (knee) continues to be a few month away from returning.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
