Hawthorn midfielder Tom Mitchell has re-affirmed his desire to remain at the Hawks, despite outside speculation that decreased midfield time could cause him to request a switch.
Mitchell, who is set to come out of contract at the end of next season, has found himself at fewer centre bounces in 2022, with rookie senior coach Sam Mitchell affording more midfield opportunities to the likes of Jai Newcombe and Conor Nash.
Asked if the slight role change has caused him to question his future at the club, the 28-year-old was categorical.
"That's the furthest thing from my mind, to be honest," Mitchell told 7 News after last Saturday night's loss to the Gold Coast Suns in Darwin.
"I love it here at Hawthorn and I've loved it here the whole six years I've been here.
"I wouldn't rather be anywhere else, so I'm extremely happy."
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While acknowledging his career-long prominence in the middle of the ground, Mitchell maintained that his focus is purely on the team's continued improvement.
"It's probably been a strength of mine over my career, but I'll keep adding strings to my bow," he said.
"We're just trying to explore the best options for the team and that'll help us moving forward."
Mitchell has recorded a centre bounce attendance rate of over 70 per cent just once this season, with Jai Newcombe (seven times), Jaeger O'Meara (twice) and Josh Ward (twice) having reached the feat more often in 2022.
The Hawks will face Collingwood at the MCG on Sunday as they look to rebound from their 67-point loss to the Suns.
