Seamus Mitchell is a star on the rise.
In the midst of an impressive debut season, the Hawthorn young gun has been recognised as the AFL’s Round 17 Rising Star nominee.
In just his 11th AFL appearance, Mitchell again impressed as he collected 20 disposals and five intercept possessions in his side's narrow loss to GWS on the weekend.
The nomination adds to an incredible turnaround for the 21-year-old who just seven months ago landed a second chance at Hawthorn via the Rookie Draft after he was delisted in November.
Mitchell managed just nine VFL games across two seasons after battling several injuries since joining the club with Pick 29 in the 2020 AFL Draft.
He finally received a senior call-up in Round 5 this year and hasn't looked back - playing 11 of a possible 12 games since.
Mitchell spent much of his early career up forward, only shifting to the backline in his debut year – a move that now seems inspired given his recent rapid rise.
Hawthorn General Manager of Football Rob McCartney was delighted to see Mitchell rewarded for his efforts.
“A Rising Star nomination is an incredible achievement for Seamus, it is a credit to him and the hard work he puts in week after week," McCartney said.
“His progression this year has been very impressive, not only has he been a consistent performer for our team, but he has also flourished in his new role as a key part of our backline.
“Seamus has a very bright future in the brown and gold and we look forward to seeing him continue his development as he gets more AFL games under his belt.”
The defender has had a number of strong performances in the AFL this year, averaging 18.6 disposals and 5.1 marks per outing, including five games where he has recorded 20 disposals or more.
The accolade adds to an exciting fortnight for the youngster who put pen to paper on a new two-year deal with the club only last week.
Mitchell is the second Hawk to receive a Rising Star nomination in season 2023, joining fellow teammate Josh Weddle who earned the nod in Round 10.
