Horror holiday health scare for AFL coach Sam Mitchell as he spends Christmas Day in overseas hospital with a potentially deadly condition

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has had his Christmas ruined by a bout of pneumonia that has left him hospitalized in New York.

The 41-year-old was admitted on December 23 and is expected to remain in hospital for several days. Channel seven reported.

Pneumonia is a serious lung infection usually caused by bacteria, a virus or even fungi.

Patients' lungs swell and their air sacs can fill with fluid, making it very difficult to breathe.

In extreme cases, pneumonia can quickly become life-threatening, especially in elderly or very young patients and in patients with heart or pre-existing lung problems.

The Hawks coach (pictured with his family at this year's AFL Hall of Fame ceremony) was first admitted to hospital on December 23

Mitchell was on holiday after his second season at Hawthorn, the club with which he won four flags and one Brownlow medal as a player.

After taking the Hawks to 13th place during his first season as coach, the team dropped to 16th in 2023 as the club's rebuilding phase took its toll and left him with a very young and green roster.

Mitchell raised eyebrows when he was inducted into the AFL's Hall of Fame in June for not mentioning his coach while at Hawthorn, Alastair Clarkson, in his acceptance speech.

Some fans saw it as a sign that the couple's relationship had been badly damaged by the racism scandal that enveloped the club last year.

Mitchell (pictured right at the Hall of Fame ceremony) raised eyebrows when he failed to mention his ex-coach Alastair Clarkson when he was inducted into the exclusive club in June

In May, Mitchell said it would be “unlikely” that Clarkson would attend a 10-year anniversary reunion of the Hawks team, the first of three consecutive flags in 2013, due to the ongoing fallout from the scandals, which played a role played into the North Melbourne coach making a decision. break from footy last season.

“The emotional toll it takes on so many stakeholders, whatever side you're on, whether you're the innocent bystander as an audience member, a football fan or a Hawthorn member, I think it saddens a lot of people. the whole thing,” Mitchell said.

'There's probably a lot of other emotions involved, depending on your mood on a given day.

'The big picture is that everyone wants to handle this as quickly and fairly as possible. It doesn't feel like that's what's happening quickly or fairly.”

Hawks fans are hoping the addition of former Collingwood star Jack Ginnivan, returning ex-Hawk Jack Gunston and Mabior Chol will help turn their fortunes around in 2024.