With six games to go in the home and away season, we thought we would have a look at how our very own ball magnet Tom Mitchell is tracking in the scheme of history.
Mitchell has enjoyed a sublime debut season at Hawthorn, leading the way for the club's new-look midfield.
But his performances this year are proving to be more than just a 'flash in the pan', with his statistical numbers beginning to threaten some of the game’s most prestigious records.
At present, Mitchell has collected 578 disposals at a rate of 36.1 a game.
Of those 578 possessions, the former Swan has hit 351 handballs and 349 of them have been uncontested.
In 2010, Collingwood’s Dane Swan set the record for most disposals in a single season with 820.
Although, it must be pointed out, that these touches were collected over 26 games as the Pies won the premiership that year.
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Mitchell’s current average of 36.1 disposals per game would see him go very close to that mark albeit with four games less.
Speaking of his average, Mitchell seems likely to claim the best season disposal average with Gary Ablett’s 2009 output of 33.8 possessions per game the current leader.
Mitchell’s former teammate Josh Kennedy set a new top in handballs in a season last year, when he shot off 472 through 25 games, which also included a Grand Final appearance.
The 24-year old Hawk is currently averaging 21.9 handballs per game, a scale that would suggest he will overtake Kennedy’s mark by Round 23 against the Western Bulldogs.
It's unlikely that Mitchell will be able to surpass the most uncontested possessions in a season, having to average 31.3 uncontested touches over the remaining six games to surpass Andrew Gaff’s 2015 tally of 537.
But, perhaps more impressively, Mitchell is tracking towards becoming the first player to earn top 20 honours in both total contested possessions and uncontested possessions in the same season.
Regardless of whether records do tumble by year’s end, Hawks fans should marvel at what their 2017 recruit has been able to achieve this year.
