HAWTHORN midfielder Liam Shiels says the effect Sam Mitchell has had on him during his time at the club has been profound.
Mitchell will play his 300th AFL game on Sunday against Richmond, and Shiels – who is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury – says the influence of Mitchell had helped him become the player he is.
“He’s had a massive influence (on me). He was captain of the club when I got here so he’s had a big influence on me and taught me a lot about the game,” Shiels said.
“I pretty much go to ‘Mitch’ every week and ask him what he knows about our opponent for the coming week because he spends a lot of time looking at tapes.”
Shiels added it’s no surprise Mitchell is interested in pursuing a coaching career once his playing career is finished.
“He’s like another coach, he’s so clear and concise with the information he gives – it’s fantastic for myself and the other young guys at the club,” he said.
“Mitch is like an on-field coach out there and the younger guys who are coming through definitely look up to him for information.”
Mitchell has been a model of consistency over his time at Hawthorn – he has had 30 disposals or more in 112 games, the most of any current AFL player.
“It’s an awesome achievement to get to 300 games especially the way he plays – a tough, hard, inside midfielder who puts his body on the line every week – he’s copped a few massive hits over his time,” Shiels said.
“To back up week-to-week and be so consistent over that time is an outstanding effort.”
Winning premierships together has certainly been a highlight for Shiels, but says he also shares some special off-field memories with his fellow on-baller.
“One which stands out is last year after the Grand Final, he stole a golf cart and a few of us jumped on I think it was myself, Bradley Hill, Ryan Schoenmakers and David Hale and we got chased off the ground after about five minutes by one of the security guards because there were fireworks everywhere,” Shiels laughed.
“Other than football, that’s a great memory I’ve shared with Mitch.”
Shiels, now a three-time premiership player, is beginning his recovery from a hamstring injury he sustained against Port Adelaide in Round 16.
It’s a gradual build-up for the 25-year-old, who has a history of hamstring injuries.
“(Recovering from the injury) was a bit slow early on, I started jogging three days ago and I’ll do another session today,” he said.
“We’ll scan it again and see how it’s progressing, but it’s feeling great so hopefully it’s healed up well.”
Shiels doesn’t like watching from the sidelines, particularly last week when the Hawks won a close encounter with the Sydney Swans.
“I hate watching. The boys were fantastic last week – I was on the edge of the couch for pretty much the last ten minutes and had a big celebration at home by myself when we won,” he laughed.
