MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MAY 20: Tom Mitchell of the Hawks is tackled by Adam Treloar and Jarryd Blair of the Magpies during the round nine AFL match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Hawthorn Hawks at Melbourne Cricket Ground on May 20, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Hawthorn recruit Tom Mitchell amassed an incredible 50 disposals in last night's loss to Collingwood at the MCG.

He is only the seventh man in the history of the game to do so. His amazing night also accounted for 13 percent of Hawthorn's 372 disposals for the game.

The former Swan had 22 kicks and 28 handballs, including 22 contested possessions.

The 23-year-old's outstanding year also has him on track to break the all time record for the most disposals in a season.

2017 PLAYER STATS

He is currently averaging 35.9 disposals over the opening nine rounds of the season. Prior to last night, Mitchell already had the most disposals through eight rounds of a season than any other player since the competition officially became the AFL in 1990, with 273 touches.

The previous best was Lachie Neale, who collected 264 disposals in the opening eight rounds last season.

Neale finished the season with 737 disposals at an average of 33.5 per game.

Mitchell's effort was the most disposals ever recorded by a Hawthorn player and the second time a player has had 50 disposals or more in a losing side.

Most disposal ever recorded in a game:

  1. 53 - Greg Williams (Sydney), 1989 v St Kilda
  2. 53 - Gary Ablett (Gold Coast), 2012 v Collingwood
  3. 52 - Barry Price (Collingwood), 1971 v Fitzroy
  4. 51 - Scott Thompson (Adelaide), 2011 v Gold Coast
  5. 50 - John Greening (Collingwood), 1971 v Geelong
  6. 50 - Tony Shaw (Collingwood), 1991 v Brisbane
  7. 50 - Tom Mitchell (Hawthorn), 2017 v Collingwood
  8. 49 - Gary Ablett (Gold Coast), 2013 v Collingwood
  9. 49 - Dane Swan (Collingwood), 2012 v Hawthorn
  10. 48 - Greg Wells (Melbourne), 1980 v Fitzroy

However, Mitchell's effectiveness was questioned by some, including Collingwood coach, Nathan Buckley.

"We thought about (tagging him), but he does it by stealth a little bit," Buckley said post-match.

"He had 40 in the under-16s WA state side about seven or eight years ago when I coached against him.

"He just finds a way and keeps getting to the pill, (but) if I said he wasn't hurting us a lot, would that make sense?

"If Isaac Smith had 50, you'd have 2500 metres gained. (Mitchell) was getting the ball at contests and that was great, but, on the balance of it, our midfield was getting on top and working them over."

Mitchell recorded 309 metres gained, compared to Pies' skipper, Scott Pendlebury, who had 36 disposals but had 691 metres gained.

But Hawks'coach Alastair Clarkson was full of praise for his onballer.

“I would have thought they were (doing damage) in the first half, because it was 10 goals to four and at quarter-time he’d had (14) disposals and we were six goals in front,” Clarkson said of  Buckley's comments.

"So it's pretty ballsy to say he wasn't having an influence at that point in time, because I think he was."