After his top-three placing in 2010, Mitchell polled 177 votes to finish ahead of Josh Gibson and Grant Birchall, who polled 160 and 138 votes respectively.
This is the classy midfielder’s third Peter Crimmins Medal, having also won the prestigious award in 2006 and 2009.
Mitchell now sits alongside Hawthorn Legend and the Club’s first premiership captain Graham Arthur and 1961 premiership player Ian Law with three Club Champion awards.
The Hawks’ former captain polled in an impressive 20 of 23 starts, averaging 30 disposals a game and was best on ground in five matches.
The canny centreman had back-to-back stand-out performances in the Hawks’ Round 20 clash against North Melbourne at Aurora Stadium where he racked up 31 disposals, nine tackles and nine clearances, followed by Hawthorn’s Round 21 demolition of Port Adelaide where he delivered two goals, six clearances and 33 disposals.
Leading the Club’s possessions across the board, Mitchell ranked first for the Hawks in disposals, kicks, handballs and clearances.
The award concluded an outstanding personal season from the Hawks’ most consistent midfielder, who also earned selection in his first All Australian side and won several media awards for the competition’s most valuable player.
In his second year at the Club, runner-up Gibson was a solid performer this season after a hamstring injury saw him sidelined for 11 games in 2010.
The 27-year-old stood up for the Hawks down back, regularly thwarting the opposition’s attack with a season-high 14 marks against St Kilda in Round 8 and a record 21 spoils in the Hawks’ semi final win against the Swans.
The reliable defender was also rewarded with the Most Consistent and Best Player in Finals awards.
Gibson was one of only two Hawthorn players to play every game in 2011, averaging 17 disposals and five marks a match while continually shutting down his forward opponent.
The athletic backman polled in all three of the Hawks’ finals games, including a best on ground performance in Hawthorn’s semi final, in which he finished two votes shy of the maximum votes possible (16).
Emerging defender Grant Birchall enjoyed the best season of his career to date, earning his first top-three finish in the Peter Crimmins Medal and a place in the All Australian squad.
Polling 138 votes in a solid year, Birchall provided a crucial link between defence and attack with his run and rebound out of the back 50.
A critical cog in the Hawks’ defensive set-up, Birchall was equally devastating in attack claiming a season-high 33 disposals against Essendon in Round 14.
Check out all of the 2011 Peter Crimmins Medal awards
