Hawthorn head coach Sam Mitchell will make a gradual return to the club as he continues to recover from a severe case of pneumonia which he contracted while on holiday in America late last year.

“Sam’s health has continued

“Whilst this is a positive step, Sam will still need some more time to

Mitchell, who spent Christmas in a New York hospital, will continue his recovery when he returns home this week.

Although McCartney revealed the 41-year-old would be slowly reintroduced into the footy program as the club prioritised his health.

“Sam will initially have a phased return to his role as senior coach, spending time in our program early in the week whilst also continuing to have the rest that is required for him to return quickly to full health,” McCartney said.

“Our priority at the moment is ensuring that Sam recovers to full health as quickly as possible, and we are confident that this phased return will support this.”

The club highlighted how their strong coaching group would deal with the scare by taking on greater responsibility in Mitchell’s absence.

“I’m extremely confident that when Sam is not present in the program, they will continue to prepare our group so we are ready to perform when the 2024 season starts,” McCartney declared.

What happened to Hawks head coach Sam Mitchell?

Mitchell was hospitalised while on holiday in America after falling ill during a holiday with his family in America.

He remained in hospital for several days over the Christmas period, as he was treated for what the club has described as a “severe case” of pneumonia.

Meanwhile, the club’s preparations for the new season will restart on Wednesday when they report back for pre-season training.

Mitchell won’t be on hand for the initial few sessions, with the aim to bring him back through a part-time capacity.

Sam Mitchell coaching record for Hawthorn

Mitchell took control of the Hawks two seasons ago following the end of the 17-year reign of four-time premiership winning mentor Alistair Clarkson.

In a tough opening spell to his AFL coaching career, Mitchell has had to rebuild the former powerhouse outfit with a whole host of young and inexperienced players.

The Hawks have won 15 games during Mitchell’s 45-game tenure to date at the club where he won four premierships as a player.

After retiring at the end of the 2017 campaign, Mitchell began his foray into first-grade coaching with an assistant role at former club West Coast Eagles.

Although this lasted for a single season before he returned to Hawthorn, where he worked in a range of different roles.

This included being an assistant to Clarkson and head of development for the club’s VFL-affiliated team Box Hill Hawks, before he was eventually promoted to be the Hawks’ senior head coach.

In 2023, Hawthorn finished near the foot of the ladder once again after managing just seven wins. However, the inventive and attacking style Mitchell has adopted has earned him plenty of plaudits during this challenging period.

Mitchell has been at the forefront of the club’s aggressive rebuild in the off-season, bringing in premiership winner Jack Ginnivan from Collingwood, as well as making moves for Jack Gunston, Mabior Chol and Massimo D’Ambrosio during the trade period.