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Emirates Western Force inaugural Coach John Mitchell has been granted a release from the final year of his contract at the club to allow the former All Blacks mentor to pursue an opportunity with the Golden Lions in South Africa.
Mitchell had one year remaining on his contract in Perth taking him through until the end of the 2011 Super rugby campaign but had indicated earlier this year he would not be seeking a further term at the club.
RugbyWA Chairman Geoff Stooke OAM said the Emirates Western Force and rugby in Western Australia owed a great deal to Mitchell who started with a blank sheet of paper on his arrival six years ago and built a strong foundation for long term success.
“John Mitchell worked passionately and diligently in setting up the Emirates Western Force rugby programme from the ground up,” said Mr Stooke.
“John was one of the key catalysts in achieving our objectives of growing rugby in Western Australia and growing Wallabies, achievements that cannot be underestimated.
“He departs with our best wishes and appreciation for his efforts over the past six years.
“John can feel very proud of the work he has done here,” Mr Stooke said.
In five Super rugby seasons at the Emirates Western Force Mitchell has overseen the development of a squad that has enabled 71 players to proudly wear the ocean blue jersey and accomplish many noteworthy milestones.
In 2009 the club secured the ‘grand slam’ against Australian Super 14 teams and in 2010 achieved a famous win against the Crusaders, after coming so close on numerous previous occasions, that ensured the club had notched victories against every opponent in the competition.
Since their Super rugby inception the Emirates Western Force has also contributed significantly to the stocks of the Wallabies with 11 players going on to represent Australia including current first choice selections in James O’Connor and David Pocock.
RugbyWA CEO Vern Reid said Mitchell’s ability to nurture talent enabled the club to establish a reputation as a sought after rugby destination.
“We have seen John take young players, as well as some more establish performers, into the system here and help them take the next step at Super rugby level and also into the national set-up,” said Mr Reid.
“That formula is entrenched into the Emirates Western Force programme and players going forward will continue to benefit from the structures already put in place.”
Following a difficult 2010 campaign for the club which was marred by injuries to several key players, Mitchell was granted leave by RugbyWA to coach in the South African domestic Currie Cup during the Super rugby off-season.
While Mitchell had every intention in returning to Perth in time for the Emirates Western Force pre-season training, his work at the Lions quickly impressed the Johannesburg team and the franchise was keen to secure his services for the long term.
Mitchell said today that helping establish the Emirates Western Force as a Super Rugby entity was something he would always regard with a high degree of enjoyment and satisfaction.
“We started from scratch in 2005 which was an enormous challenge for everyone associated with the club,” he said.
“Like any organisation, you have your highs and lows, but I believe we can all look back and count a number of significant achievements, among them producing a healthy list of Wallabies, defeating all other Super Rugby franchises in the club’s short history, and, importantly, beating the other three Australian Super Rugby teams during the 2009 season.
“Looking ahead I believe Richard Graham is extremely well qualified to take the reins of a Super 15 team,” said Mitchell.
Discussions have commenced with current Emirates Western Force Assistant Coach Richard Graham, who had already been appointed to take up the head coaching role at the club in 2012, to assume the position from next season.
Well, I'm a bit disappointed![]()
Success is not final, failure is not fatal:
it is the courage to continue that counts.
- Winston Churchill
Me too - but I'm not sure if it's at Western Force or John Mitchell. I have the feeling that the WF were the first party to want to sever the ties ...
Either way - he leaves with my blessing (for what it's worth) - it's not as if we didn't already have plans in place to migrate to a new coach. All the best, JM - hope your time in Perth has been memorable.
Dear Lord, if you give us back Johnny Cash, we'll give you Justin Bieber.
Many, myself included, could see this coming a mile off. Mitchell has done a great job with the Force and has had my support.
However his actions over the last 10 months reek of opportunism and self interested manipulation.
I nonetheless wish him the best, and hope we thrash the pants off the Lions when we next meet them.
I am glad the decision has been made and Richard Graham will take up the reins for preseason and 2011. I could see this JM staying or going early question being blown up by the media and causing the distractions the Force don't need, once again, at the start of a season or through out 2011.
Thank you for your work JM and for building the Force from the beginning.![]()
Go The Force!
It is sad to see him leave - guess this means that we are growing up time to move past the inaugral bit and plan for the future - what a legacy Pocock, Brown, Hodgson and now McCalman not to mention the rest of the team.
Hope he feels he is welcome back except when the Lions are playing think us and the Force were a trying bunch from time to time
61 years between Grand SlamsWas the wait worth it - Ya betta baby
Do we have the Lions at home this year?
I saw this coming weeks ago, and think it was probably set in motion when Gits and Drew tried to mutiny on him. All the Best Mitch, hopefully the Lions have a steady build to the point where they can compete with the rest of the pack (Apart from the Force of Course)
Lions won't become my second team, Geography dictates that to be Melbourne, but I'll applaud a little more loudly for them than before.
C'mon the![]()
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This gives us the potential to start playing for a trophy! All Force v Lions fixtures in the future could have the John Mitchell* Cup at stake.
*or any other catchy, wittier, better sounding name . Captain Bligh Cup perhaps...
I wonder what those who say he was self serving etc in the last year would have preferred?
In his own mind he was never going to coach past 2011.
He therefore announced very early that he was not going to be there.
This allowed the Force to find a replacement and that replacement then to have time to find his feet, recruit etc pre 2012 and ready for the post RWC upheavals.
The alternative was to say nothing at all until late S15 2011, stringing the negotiations out as long as possible, and then dropping our team in it at the last moment, making them compete for coach and players alike post RWC.
If you didn't like his methods, fine.
If you thought he underperformed, fine.
If you didn't like the concept of us having a foreign coach even, fine to that too.
But I personally think it is very unfair to hang him out to dry for declaring his hand when he did, regardless of what unfolded after that.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
Ditto.
He has done the right thing by himself and the Force.
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
Lions v Force 19 March over there.
80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?
Ruck Me, Maul Me, Make Me Scrum!
Education is Important, but Rugby is Importanter!
You've left the Force in a healthy state John - a legacy to be proud of. Good luck (but not too much..) at the Lions
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Mitch's influence can already be seen at the Lions. They beat the Western Province(Stormers) which is competition leaders 46-28 A comment from old Lions Player Andre Pretorius : John Mitchell's hand coming through nicely ......
The Lions have been the wooden spooners in many past seasons and there is a lot of pressure from sponsors and supporters for decent results.
well he left us with probably the best loose forwards of any team in the competition and for that we owe him thanks. as burgs pointed out he's been above board about moving too.
but i'm happy he's moved on.
his laxity with player discipline and team ethic bothered me. compare this to "the link" at the reds..
given the force's line up over the years, i think we should have done much better than we have?
cheers auss...
fabricarti diem punc