Sam Mitchell weighs in on controversial free kick against Karl Amon against Brisbane

Hawks fans were livid at a free kick against Karl Amon for showing insufficient intent to keep the ball in with Hawthorn just three points down at the Gabba. Watch and have your say.

Marco Monteverde

@marcothejourno

2 min read

August 25, 2025 - 7:53AM

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Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell says his side can still win the AFL premiership despite a 10-point loss to Brisbane on Sunday night at the Gabba condemning the Hawks to sudden-death football in next month’s finals series.

The Hawks closed to within two points of Brisbane in the final quarter before a call against defender Karl Amon for insufficient use of the ball swung momentum back in Brisbane’s favour, with subsequent goals to Bruce Reville and Cam Rayner sealing the Lions’ 11.23 (89) to 11.13 (79) win.

“I never really come in on that. All I can say really about umpiring is they made less mistakes than we did, so I’ll worry about the ones we can control,” Mitchell said.

The controversial call against Karl Amon

Depending on the result of Wednesday night’s game between Gold Coast and Essendon, Hawthorn will either finish seventh or eighth on the ladder.

Finishing seventh will lead to a week-one finals trip to Perth to meet Fremantle, while eighth spot will result in the Hawks travelling to NSW to meet the GWS Giants.

Mitchell would not say which team he would prefer the Hawks to play.

However, he wasn’t shy to back his side’s hopes of winning four successive matches in September to win the flag.

It’s a feat the Lions achieved last season, with the Western Bulldogs the only other club to have won the premiership from the bottom half of the top-eight under the current finals format.

Sam Mitchell speaks to his players at the break. Picture: Matt Roberts/AFL Photos/via Getty Images.

“Before there was the (week off before the start of the finals series), no-one had won it outside the top four, and since then, a couple of teams have, including Brisbane last year, so we’re not writing ourselves off,” Mitchell said.

“We’re disappointed, but excited, and I’m sure every Hawks fan right now is thinking ‘that would have been a good (win) to get (over the Lions), but we get to play four finals instead of three now.

“We know we’ve got a big two weeks (to prepare for the finals series), and we’re going to have a huge performance and finals footy for the second year in a row, which is great for our group, and we’re really excited to be a part of it.

“There’s only one team that finishes their season happy, really. Everyone else finishes it either now, which is 10 teams or the other seven will lose a final, so (it’s about) making sure we’re that one that’s left at the end.”