‘Club built off premierships’: No flag, no success for Mitchell’s Hawks as knockout clash looms

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell says he will accept nothing less than a flag as a mark of success in his first finals tilt at the Hawks’ helm.

Mitchell said Hawthorn was “built on premierships” and he was determined to ensure his side was not satisfied with a top-eight finish, even if they were not ready to contend this September.

The third-year coach said experience with big crowds in MCG clashes against Richmond and Carlton this season would create “one less unknown” for the Hawks in Friday night’s elimination final as he conceded there would be nerves from players and coaches alike.

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“I feel like I should be nervous, but I’m not yet … it’s likely to escalate over the next 48 hours,” Mitchell said on Wednesday.

“I suspect there will be 90,000 or thereabouts at the game, and the fact we’ve done that before – it’s one less unknown.

“We’ve played in front of some big crowds – are we experienced as (Western Bulldogs), no … but we have some level of confidence.

“We do our best to share (finals experiences), but we also have to bring it back to (how) it’s still just a game of football at the MCG.”

Asked what Hawthorn had that had allowed such a speedy return to finals after bottoming out from 2020-22, Mitchell credited a focus on premierships rather than finals appearances.

“I would say that Hawthorn has historically been a successful club. We’ve won a premiership in every decade since the ’60s,” he said.

“It’s a club built off premierships, not off finals. Certainly for this club, if we don’t win the grand final this year, we’re not going to sit back and say ‘what a success that was’.

“We know this club is built on premierships, and we want to continue that legacy. I hope it’s this year, but if it’s not, it’ll be our focus moving forward.”

Mitchell said there were “a couple of question marks” at the selection table and suggested the weather forecast could play a part in which way he leant.

Finn Maginness (19 disposals at 52 per cent efficiency) played in Will Day’s spot against North Melbourne in round 24, but Josh Ward and Changkuoth Jiath were both alternatives.

Jiath returned from his calf injury in the VFL last week but only managed eight disposals and two tackles in a full game on the wing.

“It was really important that (Jiath) played, he wouldn’t have played for over a month now (otherwise),” Mitchell said.

“CJ’s given himself a chance, which is fantastic, because he’s going to be an important player for us.”

Mitchell said the Hawks would avoid any “cloak and dagger” mystery over Day’s fitness if they advanced to a semi-final and quickly clarified whether he was in the frame.

“He certainly hasn’t been ruled out for anything after this week,” Mitchell said.