Tom Mitchell

Arriving at Sydney as a highly touted father-son selection, Tom Mitchell initially battled for consistent opportunities within a star-studded Swans engine room that included the likes of Josh Kennedy and Luke Parker. Despite playing a key role in the club's run to the 2016 Grand Final, he sought a trade to Hawthorn the following season to secure a permanent position as a first-choice midfielder. The move proved transformative, as Mitchell established himself as the competition's premier ball-winner, breaking disposal records and claiming the 2018 Brownlow Medal before a broken leg wiped out his entire 2019 campaign.

Upon returning, he remained a prolific accumulator, but as the Hawks shifted toward a youth-led rebuild under Sam Mitchell, the veteran was traded to Collingwood ahead of the 2023 season. At the Magpies, he adapted his game from a pure possession-gatherer to a high-pressure extraction specialist, doing the heavy grunt work at stoppages that allowed dynamic teammates to flourish on the outside. This selfless evolution was rewarded immediately with a premiership medallion in his first year at the club, cementing his standing as one of the modern era's most consistent inside midfielders.