Former Hawthorn captain and four-time premiership player Sam Mitchell has called time on his career, with the West Coast midfielder set to hang up the boots at the end of the 2017 season.

The 34-year-old flew west at the end of last year to play out his footy days as an Eagle, following a decorated 15-year career in the brown and gold. 

Mitchell was selected with Pick 36 in the 2001 ‘Super Draft’, and played nine games for the Hawks in his debut season. The young midfielder fully announced himself to the competition in 2003, playing 21 games and earning himself the Rising Star Award. The following year, he was awarded the famous No.5 guernsey, and so began one of the great football careers of the modern era.

"Sitting here being a 15-year Hawthorn player and one-year West Coast player it's not easy to manage the ‘thankyous’," Mitchell said during his press conference, before going onto thank Alastair Clarkson, Peter Schwab, David Parkin, Luke Hodge and other notable Hawthorn figures.

“All those sacrifices you make in the early part of your career pay off. It was a privilege to play this great game for so many years.

“I feel like the universe looked after me.”

  

Sam Mitchell's AFL career at a glance:

Games: 323* (307 with Hawthorn, 16 with Eagles)

Goals: 69

Brownlow Medal: 2012 

All Australian: 2011, 2013, 2015

Peter Crimmins Medals: 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016 

Premierships: 2008 (capt), 2013, 2014, 2015

Hawthorn captain: 2008-2010

NAB AFL Rising Star: 2003