Last year Tom Mitchell became just the sixth player in the game's history to win a Brownlow Medal before sitting out the following year.

One of the most prodigious ball-getters the game has ever seen, we thought we'd take a look at how history suggests the Hawks on-baller should fare in his first game back in 18 months.

Here's a look at how the five previous winners fared after their respective one-year hiatuses. 

Colin Watson (St Kilda) – 1925 Brownlow medallist

You could mount a case that Colin Watson had one of the most bizarre careers that VFL/AFL football has ever seen.

Joining the Saints in 1920, he played 59 games over the next six seasons including 15 in 1925 which were enough to see him win the second ever Brownlow Medal in 1925, just before his 25th birthday.

With full-time work hard to find in Melbourne, the country boys made a rural return and did not pull on a Saints guernsey again until 1933.

Records are scarce and don't provide much in the way of illuminating how he fared in his comeback season, let alone first game back.

But the fact that he then captain-coached St Kilda the following year as well as making the Victorian team suggests he was still in pretty good form upon his return. 

Des Fothergill (Collingwood) – 1940 Brownlow medallist

In 1940 Fothergill shared the Brownlow with South Melbourne centreman Herbie Matthews after receiving 32 votes, a record for 71 years until broken in 2011 by Magpie Dane Swan.

But in the year following, with League player payments severely restricted by the Coulter Law and significantly more money for the taking in other competitions, Fothergill accepted a godfather offer from VFA club Williamstown, joining former Magpie teammate Ron Todd, who had shocked the football world in similar circumstances a year earlier.

After four years with Williamstown, Fothergill returned to the Pies and showed no signs of rust at the level, finishing with five goals in his comeback game.

Brian Gleeson (St Kilda) – 1957 Brownlow medallist

St Kilda ruckman Brian Gleeson went from elation to devastation almost overnight.

The athletic big man won the 1957 Brownlow Medal but, just three weeks after being rewarded with the Saints' captaincy for 1958, Gleeson suffered a career-ending knee injury early in the first practice match and was forced into retirement at just 23.

Graham Moss (Essendon) – 1976 Brownlow medallist

Following his Brownlow Medal win in 1976, Moss departed Essendon to return to his home state of Western Australia.

Despite never returning to the VFL, Moss played out an incredible career in the west, including four consecutive best and fairest awards in the years following his league cross. 

Bob Skilton (South Melbourne) – 1959, 1963 and 1968 Brownlow medallist

In 1968 Bob Skilton became just the third player to win three Brownlow Medals, joining fellow roving legends in Fitzroy's Haydn Bunton and Essendon's Dick Reynolds.

But the biggest challenge of Skilton's illustrious career was soon to come when he sustained an Achilles tendon rupture in a practice match against Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval.

After an extensive period on the sidelines, Skilton returned in 1970.

His first game back was all class too with Skilton collected 31 disposals and six marks as well as booting two goals.