FROM potential football purgatory to one of the brightest young stars in the game, life keeps getting better for Robinvale Euston export Seamus Mitchell.
Less than a week after penning a two-year contract extension with Hawthorn, the 21-year-old earned an AFL Rising Star nod for a strong performance in the Hawks’ 13-point loss to GWS.
In just his 11th AFL appearance, Mitchell again impressed as he collected 20 disposals and five intercept possessions against the Giants.
After two injury-hit seasons, resulting in him being delisted and re-drafted as a rookie late last year, the 29th selection in the 2020 AFL draft is making the most of the opportunity.
“It’s been pretty big — it’s all happened very quickly,” Mitchell told afl.com.au’s Josh Gabelich.
“Obviously the wait in November to find out if I was going to be there again was pretty stressful, so for things to change and to be in the position I am now is pretty surreal.
“I haven’t been a real standout or anything but I’ve found a bit of consistency with my footy and it’s good to eventually get the recognition.
“I’m pretty happy with it.”
Mitchell hasn’t looked back since making his debut in Round 5 this year in front of 52 friends and family members in Adelaide.
Having played 11 of a possible 12 games since then, the forward-turned-defender is averaging 18.6 disposals and 5.1 marks per outing, including five games in which he has recorded 20 disposals or more.
While players such as Brisbane’s Will Ashcroft, North Melbourne’s Harry Sheezel, St Kilda’s Michito Owens and Fremantle’s Jye Amiss are the leading Rising Star contenders, the Robinvale product can be safe in the knowledge that he is among the best youngsters in the competition.
“Obviously (the off-season was) very stressful,” Mitchell said.
“It was a very long wait dealing with injury at the same time but then eventually I was reassured that they’d pick me up again.
“I guess that was the start, and it sort of went on from there,” Mitchell said.
“A lot of effort has to go in, and then I guess some performances gave me the confidence, and also the coaches feed it to you a fair bit.
“I managed to find consistency with my footy.
“It wasn’t anything amazing, I was just getting my job done, and eventually I got the opportunity to play at AFL level.
“(The contract extension) takes a lot of stress and pressure off me.
“It’s going to be good.
“It’s a young team so hopefully we’re back to playing finals soon and being competitive and playing for premierships.
“I’m really excited for the next few years.”
Mitchell also credits his senior experience with Robinvale Euston in the Sunraysia Football and Netball League as a teenager for helping his transition to the top level.
The lightning-quick forward kicked four goals on debut as a 16-year-old, and 14 goals in his first three games.
“I was very light, one of the smaller ones out there, but I probably had a bit more speed over the bigger bodies,” he said.
“I guess getting that exposure against bigger bodies when I was younger and getting the feel for it was probably massive: getting a bit of confidence from that age, knowing you can perform against older and bigger bodies.”
There is potentially some synchronicity between Mitchell’s form and his boyhood club, who are currently favourites for their first premiership in 13 years.
