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‘No different to under 10s’: Hawks coach explains seismic AFL upset, sounds ominous warning An hour after beating Fremantle in Perth to earn a home preliminary final, Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell was still coming to terms with the consistent performance his players had put in to earn the win. But he was also quick to point out that he wasn’t coaching to play in preliminary finals. The job was not even close to being done. Watch every match of the 2026 Toyota AFL Finals Series before the Grand Final LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Mitchell has the Hawks 2025 finals exit, to Geelong a week before the Grand Final, to remind him of the challenge that remains. Although any doubts over Hawthorn’s 2026 premiership credentials were shut down at Optus Stadium on Thursday night. The Hawks pressure was too much for the Dockers to handle and the result was an impressive 32-point win. While Mitchell said the victory “still hasn’t sunk in”, he had no doubt about what the contest represented. “In 10 years’ time, when you put any 10 minutes of that game on, anyone watching it would say that looks like the final to me,” he said. “The pressure from both teams, lots of mistakes, lots of fantastic pieces of play. I’m just so proud of the boys to play so consistently for so long. “And you have to against the best teams.” READ ALSO HAWKS PLAYER RATINGS: Hawks skipper roars; Wizard casts wicked spell FREO PLAYER RATINGS: All-Aus star among TWELVE fails on horror night ‘ENORMOUS’ HEAT ON COACH: Stunning Freo fail as greats expose biggest flaws in ‘nightmare’ From the opening bounce, Hawthorn’s method was clear, suffocate Fremantle with relentless pressure across all three lines. The midfield’s work rate underpinned territory and repeat entries, while the forwards repeatedly pushed up and back to create outnumbers around the ball. “It’s no different to under‑10s, if you’ve got more numbers there, generally you do a bit better,” Mitchell said. “Our forwards’ work rate was a real highlight. We didn’t always use the ball at our best, but the way they created outnumber after outnumber was huge.” Behind the ball, Hawthorn’s tall defenders delivered on a carefully plotted plan. Star Fremantle forward Josh Treacy failed to register a kick until the final five minutes, as the Hawks’ key backs, primed by backline coach Kade Simpson, repeatedly won critical contests. The Dockers star forward trio of Treacy, Jye Amiss and Patrick Voss, who kicked 153 goals between then during the season, combined for just two on Thursday. Fremantle managed only five goals as a team. Yet it was the Hawks response to Fremantle’s inevitable surges that most impressed their coach. When the Dockers opened the second half with a goal straight from the centre and the stadium erupted, Mitchell admitted he was nervous. “I’m in a closed glass box and I still couldn’t hear through the phone,” he said. “For our players to respond after that, then to half the third quarter, was absolutely vital in being able to put the game away.” If the night belonged to Hawthorn’s system, it also showcased the value of role players whose impact doesn’t show on the stat sheet. At half-time, Max Beattie had barely touched the ball and had made a couple of errors. The coaching group, though, turned to the club’s internal pressure data. Jack Ginnivan ranked first, Beattie second. “Finals are about your response to error,” Mitchell said. “It’s not usually the mistake that costs you, it’s what happens next. “Max got run down, then won a turnover that led to a Dylan Moore goal. That’s exactly what we want every player to do.” For Hawthorn, the win secures a home preliminary final and shifts their status from hunter to hunted. Mitchell, however, clearly know the job is far from done. “You don’t coach this game to get to preliminary finals,” he said. “We know there’s still two wins to go.”