HAWTHORN midfielder Sam Mitchell is preparing to be tagged on Saturday, but he is not sure whether the Eagles will send a run-with player to his side at the first bounce.
The Eagles have not used run-with players throughout the season, but Mitchell said it was his habit to prepare for a tagger.
"I prepare every game as if I will because if you prepare yourself to not be [tagged] then to change your mindset to then having a bloke next to you all the time can be quite difficult," Mitchell said.
Mitchell is a key driver of the Hawks system, with his ability to win the ball and superb ball.
However, entering his fifth Grand Final he knows not to lock potential scenarios into his head.
"I'm not sure what will happen," Mitchell said.
"I go into the game with a pretty open mind, but prepare for anything."
He was tagged in the 2008 and 2013 Grand Finals but the Sydney Swans gave him more space in 2012 and 2014.
Mitchell said his role was just one of many, with the team working hard to ensure it didn't over rely on certain players.
"Every one of us is replaceable," Mitchell said.
He said the qualifying loss to West Coast at Domain Stadium was a good reminder that the Eagles could beat them, but it had not dented the Hawks' confidence.
"We take a little bit of confidence that we can't play that badly again," Mitchell said.
He said tactics in the Grand Final mattered less than attitude because both teams had systems that they believed could prevail in a Grand Final.
As for the forecast temperature of 28 degrees, Mitchell said it was about time, because fitness coach Andrew Russell had been preparing them for such a day for four years and the players had begun to question whether what he was getting them to do was worth the effort.
"I'm glad it's going to be warm because for the last four years Andrew Russell, our fitness coach, has had us once or twice a week from about round 18 onwards getting in the steam room preparing for a hot final's day, and the last three Grand Finals have been cold," Mitchell said.
"We've been getting in to him saying this is a waste of time … he's finally going to have the last say. Four years of preparation is going to pay off."
Mitchell finished Monday night's Brownlow Medal count in third place on 26 votes, five votes behind eventual winner, Fremantle's Nathan Fyfe.
In polling 26 votes, Mitchell moved beyond Hawthorn champion Leigh Matthews to become the Hawks' greatest vote winner.
His career tally of 205 puts him fifth of all time behind Gary Dempsey on 218 votes, Robert Harvey 215, Gary Ablett Jr 214 and Chris Judd 210.
Mitchell said Fyfe was a deserving winner of the award and his acceptance speech only heightened his admiration for the Dockers' midfielder.
"From an on-field perspective everyone has got enormous respect and that grew even further if that was possible on Friday night, playing with a broken leg," he said.
"Everyone thinks he was a worthy winner and was outstanding in his season on the field, but then in his speech and the way he accepted the award he even grew in their thoughts."
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