Place Player Update – Mitchell signs on for 2018

Reigning joint Bill Peirce Medallist and current Club Captain Drew Mitchell had no hesitation in putting pen to paper for season 2018.

"It was a very straightforward decision to renew my contract for 2018, the Magpies are a true family to me and I want nothing more than to see us build on our developing performance of 2017," Mitchell said at McCarthy Homes Oval on Friday. 

Mitchell played all of his junior football at Sherwood and he bleeds black and white coming from a long line of Magpie stalwarts who have been part of the fabric of the club for 40+ years. His grandparents, Ray and Flo Laing are Life Members of the club and his father Steve Mitchell was a multiple Premiership winning player for Sherwood. 

"While there is a genuine sense of purpose about the club right now, the most impressive thing I've noticed so far after just a few weeks back on the track is the hunger and attitude of everyone wanting to get the best out of themselves. There's plenty of talent and moreover great blokes who are wanting to play at the Magpies for all the right reasons, this should make us more competitive in 2018. We know we've got a mountain of hard work to put in but I think we've got the right group to build something special," Mitchell said. 

"The new additions to the club are settling in really well and it's given a few of the older heads a timely nudge with fresh ideas and new standards being set," said Mitchell.  

While Mitchell was a dual winner of the Best & Fairest in 2017, the season was frustrated by injury and he will be looking to go to another level as a midfield leader and regular goal kicker in 2018.  A dependable workhorse in the middle with his bullocking frame and superb endurance, Mitchell is at his best when he hits the scoreboard regularly as he did in the 2016 season, where he averaged well over 1.5 goals a game.

While it was always a formality, the Magpies were eager to sign Mitchell for 2018 to get it out of the way.

Club President, Andrew Thomson was naturally excited to confirm the signing of Mitchell for 2018. 

“It would be easy for us to lose focus on our loyal core by running around signing new players and forgetting about the guys that drive the group, but we were really keen to not fall into that trap," said Thomson.  

"It’s important that Drew and the other senior players who have put in the hard yards are shown the respect they deserve, so Drew was one of the first players I wanted to sit down with and get signed up for 2018. Loyal players like Drew, club juniors who move up the ranks and put the work in week in week out, year in year out are the heartbeat of a successful footy club."

"Yes, we know he bleeds black and white and it wasn't likely that he would go be going anywhere else, that said he’s the Club Captain and his signature is as important as anyone else. I look forward to seeing Drew bust through the middle in 2018 for a trademark goal from the midfield,” said Thomson.  

 For further info regarding playing at the Western Magpies in 2018 please call Brydan Morgan (Senior Coach) on 0423 861 361.