Hodge: Why Sam Mitchell 'is not going anywhere'

Following speculation around Sam Mitchell's coaching future, former teammate Luke Hodge has given his thoughts on the situation.

Having turned the Hawks around from a bottom-three side to a team that made the last two finals series, Mitchell has been viewed as one of the best coaches in the competition, with Kane Cornes labelling him a genius.

And with former Hawthorn premiership captain coming out of contract in 2027, SEN’s Tom Morris reported on Channel 7’s The Agenda Setters that the coach was gettable for rival clubs with the Tasmania Devils, Carlton and Essendon currently looking to fill head coach vacancies.

Following that news, the 43-year-old came out saying that he was happy at the club and that there was no story.

That sentiment was backed up by his former premiership teammate, who is utterly confident that Mitchell’s future lies with the brown and gold.

“I could tell you right now, Sam is not going anywhere,” Hodge told SEN’s Locked In with Kane Cornes.

“This is the biggest blow-up to try and push out a contract.

“Sam Mitchell has got a chance to be…a premiership captain, coach of the same football club.

“He's not leaving anywhere, especially with that list that he's got.

“You look through ever since they took Watson at (Pick No.) five a few years ago, and we all sat back and said, ‘What's he doing?’

“He knew the way he wanted to play. He's built the list around the way he wants to play. He's chasing players to help his side...to be even better. He's not going anywhere.

“He's not gonna go down to Tasmania, who's gonna be down the bottom for four, five, six years while they develop these young kids.

“Yes, he might be able to do that down there, but his preparation and all the planning he's done the last four or five years have got him to this stage right now.”