Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell is on the verge of becoming one of the highest-paid coaches in the AFL after the club tabled a three-year contract extension that would keep him at the helm until the end of 2030. The deal, reported by Caroline Wilson on The Agenda Setters, includes a significant pay rise and performance-based incentives tied to top-four finishes and premierships.
Contract Details and Timeline
Mitchell, who was already contracted until the end of 2027, had put negotiations on hold for family reasons, but those issues have now been resolved. The extension is expected to be signed by August. While the exact financial figure has not been disclosed, Wilson indicated that Mitchell's new salary would place him just behind Geelong's Chris Scott and Gold Coast's Damien Hardwick among the league's highest-earning coaches.
Channel 7's Tom Morris had previously reported that Mitchell would take a phone call from a rival club, but Mitchell himself confirmed he was very happy at Hawthorn and not interested in leaving. Wilson also clarified that Mitchell did not speak to Tasmania, despite the Hawks' upcoming trip to play the Demons in Tasmania, and that the expansion club never realistically considered him a target.
Mitchell's Impact at Hawthorn
Mitchell took over from four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson at the end of the 2021 season and immediately embarked on a rebuild. Despite predictions of a prolonged period at the bottom, the Hawks showed steady improvement, reaching the semi-final in 2024 and the preliminary final in 2025. Currently sitting in third place, Hawthorn is again considered a premiership contender.
Channel 7 expert Kane Cornes praised Mitchell's strategic approach, noting that he accelerated the rebuild ahead of Tasmania's entry into the AFL. "Just the way that he has done this and he has been ahead of the curve on where he saw the list and where they needed to get to. He was ahead of the rebuild with Tassie coming in," Cornes said. "He said, 'we have to rebuild while no one else is doing it because we know Tassie is coming in.' And where they sit right now is one of the great platforms to win a premiership, which they can well and truly achieve with the way they're going."
Future Outlook
The new contract extension solidifies Mitchell's long-term commitment to Hawthorn and rewards his success in turning the club into a premiership force. With the deal expected to be finalized in the coming months, Mitchell will join the upper echelon of AFL coaching salaries, reflecting his value to the club and the league.
