Hawthorn has finalised its 2023 coaching line-up, with three fresh faces entering into the club’s AFL coaching ranks ahead of next season.
Sam Mitchell is set to embark on his second campaign at the helm alongside a refreshed coaching panel, which will see several changes across the ground.
New additions Kade Simpson, Zane Littlejohn and David Mackay have joined the coaching structure alongside David Hale, Chris Newman, Adrian Hickmott, Andy Collins and Bec Goddard.
Find out who is taking on what role below.
Sam Mitchell – Senior Coach
Mitchell will be stepping into his second year as senior coach after taking over the reins ahead of last season.
In his first year at the helm in 2022, Mitchell prioritised the development of the club’s younger players which saw eight Hawks make their debuts.
Returning to the club in which he won four premierships, Mitchell initially re-joined the brown and gold in 2019 as an assistant coach, before stepping into the dual role of Head of Development and Box Hill Senior Coach at the end of 2020.
Drafted to Hawthorn in 2001, the premiership captain played 307 games before departing for West Coast in 2016 to seek experience outside the walls of Waverley Park.
Kade Simpson – Defenders
Simpson joins the Hawks after spending the last three seasons with Carlton’s AFLW coaching department.
Simpson possesses an enormous amount of experience at the elite level, having played 342 games with Carlton across 18 seasons to rank third on the Blues’ all-time games list.
Following his impressive playing career, Simpson moved quickly to hone his craft as a coach, mentoring the forwards in Carlton’s AFLW program during 2020 and 2021 before being appointed as its Head of Development this year.
Heading into 2023, Simpson will return to the area of the ground he knows best, leading an exciting Hawthorn defensive crop which features a mix of youngsters and experienced stars.
David Hale – Midfield
Hale will enter his second season at Hawthorn as an assistant coach in 2023, moving from his previous role as forwards coach to now oversee the midfielders.
Hale has been pivotal in leading Hawthorn’s attack this year which saw the growth of several players including Mitch Lewis who produced a career-best year.
In 2023, Hale will continue to guide club’s young talent in the centre of the ground, leading the likes of Jai Newcombe, Josh Ward and Ned Reeves.
The three-time premiership Hawk notched up 108 games and proved a vital part of the club’s premiership threepeat from 2013 to 2015 following 129 games at North Melbourne.
After his retirement in 2015, Hale spent six seasons at Fremantle as an assistant coach before returning to Hawthorn.
Chris Newman – Forwards
After three years as backline coach, Newman will now shift his focus to the opposite end of the ground in 2023.
The new challenge will see Newman work closely alongside an exciting forward line which includes the likes of Mitch Lewis, Luke Breust and Dylan Moore.
Newman initially joined the Hawks in 2016 as a development coach after calling time on a successful 268-game career with Richmond in 2015.
After a stint as stoppages coach, the long-time Hawks assistant transitioned to backline coach to support the defenders in 2020 – a role he continued into 2021 and 2022.
Adrian Hickmott – Contest
Hickmott joined the Hawks as their contest coach ahead of the 2022 season following a decade-long stint at West Coast as an assistant coach.
Since arriving at Hawthorn, Hickmott has quickly built a reputation as an energetic and vocal member of the club’s coaching structure.
Prior to joining the brown and gold, Hickmott performed a variety of assistant coaching roles at the Eagles during his tenure, including as backline and midfield coach.
Another pervious player, Hickmott carved an impressive 184-game career at Geelong and Carlton.
Andrew Collins – Head of Development
Collins, a former three-time premiership Hawk, will enter his second year as Hawthorn’s Head of Development.
Responsible for the development of all coaches and players last season, Collins has been instrumental in guiding the club’s emerging talent.
Prior to his coaching time at Hawthorn, ‘Collo’ previously coached VFL sides Williamstown and Sandringham to premierships, as well as spending six years in charge of SANFL team West Adelaide.
In season 2021, Collins held the position of senior assistant coach at Box Hill, where he worked closely alongside Mitchell.
Across his 212-game career at the Hawks in the late 80s and 90s, Collins won three premierships, a Peter Crimmins Medal and state honours.
Bec Goddard – Development Coach/AFLW Senior Coach
Goddard has a proven coaching record in the AFLW, having led Adelaide to premiership success in the competition’s inaugural season.
She coached the Crows for the 2017 and 2018 seasons before joining the brown and gold as VFLW Senior Coach for the 2021 season.
Goddard then returned as Hawthorn’s inaugural AFLW Senior Coach as the club entered its first season in the competition in 2022.
Goddard also worked alongside Mitchell this year as a development coach in the AFL system, a role she will continue in 2023.
Zane Littlejohn – Development Coach/Box Hill Senior Coach
Littlejohn will head up the VFL program as Box Hill Senior Coach and Hawthorn’s Development Coach, working closely alongside Collins.
He spent the last six years at the Brisbane Lions both as a Development Coach and Head Coach of the Lions Academy.
As Hawthorn’s Development Coach, Littlejohn will lead the development of the club’s playing list, with a specific focus on developing the club’s first to fifth year players.
Littlejohn’s coaching and development pedigree allows the club to return to the highly successful model of having the Box Hill Senior Coach full-time in Hawthorn’s program.
David Mackay – Development Coach
Former Adelaide star Mackay is the newest face to join Hawthorn’s AFL department, having taken up a role as development coach.
Mackay initially joined the Box Hill-Hawthorn alliance ahead of the 2022 season, working within the VFL program while also acting as AFLW midfield coach.
He will continue to maintain his AFLW responsibilities at the club, while also helping to aid the development of Hawthorn’s AFL list next year.
Originally taken with Pick 48 in the 2006 national draft, Mackay went on to carve out an impressive 248-game career at the Crows which spanned 15 years.
Hawthorn’s 2023 coaching line up:
Sam Mitchell – Senior Coach
Andrew Collins – Head of Development
Kade Simpson – Assistant Coach (Defence)
Chris Newman – Assistant Coach (Forward)
David Hale – Assistant Coach (Midfield)
Adrian Hickmott – Assistant Coach (Contest)
David Mackay – Development Coach
Bec Goddard – AFLW Senior Coach/Development Coach
Zane Littlejohn – Box Hill Senior Coach/Development Coach