Newly appointed Hawthorn Football Club coach Sam Mitchell had a storied playing career and was relentless in his pursuit of on field success, for him and his team. Sam’s approach to getting the best out of himself on the field lead to winning four AFL premierships, five best and fairests and the 2012 Brownlow Medal. The hard work he put in well and truly paid off. After finishing playing he transitioned into coaching, firstly as an assistant at the West Coast Eagles, then the Box Hill Hawks and now the Hawthorn Football Club as senior coach. In this wide ranging conversation Sam shares his stories about the peer pressure inside the changerooms to have something to “fall back on”, the small number of mentors that helped him balance the on and off field, being self sufficent when it comes to getting the best out of himself, the selfish life of an AFL footballer, how fatherhood changed the way he thought about AFL football and remaining curious.