Mitchell spurred by half-time blast

The AFL's newest premiership skipper - Hawthorn's Sam Mitchell - revealed not long after holding aloft the cup for season 2008, following the Hawks' shock win over Geelong, how coach Alastair Clarkson had given him a 'rocket' at half-time following his poor first-half performance.

What ended as the highlight of Mitchell's career started almost disastrously when the 2003 Rising Star winner and 2006 best and fairest winner could manage just three possessions in the first half at the MCG on Saturday - thanks to the tight-checking of Geelong's master tagger Cameron Ling - as the Hawks led by just three points at half-time.

But Mitchell lifted after half-time and while he still only had 13 touches for the day, it was his goal at the 14-minute mark of the final term which sealed the Hawks' first flag since 1991 and one of the biggest upsets in grand final history.

The 25-year-old was still coming to terms with his rollercoaster day straight after the game as he reflected on his ups and downs as a day that started so badly ended in the moment every young boy dreams of - accepting the premiership cup in front of 100,000 fans at the MCG.

"He (Clarkson) put a rocket up myself and (spearhead Lance) Franklin at half-time and both our second halves were better," Mitchell said.

"It wasn't our (Mitchell and Franklin's) greatest days individually but I thought we both played our roles for the team and that has been our focus for the whole final series."

"You are not thinking of being best on the ground when you are preparing for the game - we just wanted to play our role for the team and I think in the second half I was able to do that."

And not even when he goaled to put the Hawks 27 points up midway through the last term did Mitchell start to dream about holding up the premiership cup.

"Geelong is a very good side and they can score quickly and there was no point in the game where I thought 'gee we have won it now' and I got to enjoy it."

But all that changed after the final siren, although Mitchell can hardly believe he is now a premiership-winning captain.

"It's all a bit surreal," he said of now having one of the most prized titles in football.

"We train for so long and do all those running sessions in pre-season and every (team) meeting seems to drag on for just a little bit too long but it all seems worth it now."

"And when you see a guy like 'Crawf' (former skipper Shane Crawford) who has been here 17 years hold up the cup it is just a special moment for him in particular."