At the end of voting in round 21 Mitchell appeared on track to join ex-Footscray star Chris Grant and North Melbourne ruckman Corey McKernan in the ill-famed club of ineligible players to 'win' the Brownlow Medal.
Mitchell had polled more votes (30) than any other player to lead the count by one vote from prolific Collingwood onballer Dane Swan.
Each of his 30 votes was marked by a red 'x', highlighting his ineligibility.
The 28-year-old was ruled out of contention for the medal despite not missing a match through suspension after accepting an early plea and a reprimand for head-high contact on Geelong's Steve Johnson in round five, and watched the television coverage at home with his family.
Hodge was asked about the 'elephant in the room' when the one-time Hawks captain jumped to the top of the leaderboard in round 21 after three consecutive best-on-ground performances.
"Hopefully for Mitch's sake he doesn't get any more votes," Hodge said at the time.
"I know it's a bad thing to say.
"Mitch has been outstanding for us this year, and you can see that by the number of votes he's polled tonight.
"I'd love for him to get the most votes because he does deserve it, but it would be a lot of pressure on him."
Fortunately for Mitchell, Hodge and the uneasy audience, he didn't poll another vote.
Hodge collected maximum votes in round 22, allowing Swan to take the lead.
Coach Alastair Clarkson's decision to rest Mitchell, who was battling knee soreness, in round 23 also helped avoid the midfielder lamenting what could have been.
Swan polled two more best-on-ground votes to put the result beyond doubt with a round remaining.
Mitchell achieved the 'honour' of polling the most votes of any ineligible player in Brownlow Medal history, eclipsing Grant's previous best tally of 27 votes in 1997.
Speaking at a press conference after his win, Swan said he too was relieved he'd won the award in his own right.
"I was kind of praying I wasn't the one to pinch it from him [Mitchell]," he said.
"If I did happen to win it, I would've preferred to give it to him because I wouldn't have felt right taking a Brownlow that I didn't 'win', so to speak.
"It would've been a pretty hollow kind of feeling sitting up there being a Brownlow medallist when someone else got the most votes."
Swan's Brownlow win was filled with irony.
Having finished third after being the pre-count favourite last year, the three-time Copeland Trophy winner went into the count on Monday night without the weight of expectation.
That burden was carried by bookies' favourite Chris Judd, who had upset Swan to claim an unexpected second Brownlow Medal in 2010.
Judd's odds of winning were so short the AFL had organised for triple Brownlow Medallist Bob Skilton to present the award if the premiership player, or another two-time winner in Adam Goodes, had finished at the top of the leaderboard.
In one of the surprises of the night, Judd failed to poll a vote until round five.
He finished strongly, amassing 23 votes and becoming the first player in AFL/VFL history to poll 20-plus votes in five different Brownlow Medal counts.
Swan was happy the roles had been reversed from last year.
"Clearly, being the favourite doesn't help," he said.
"Last year it took a little bit out of me. It was a bit draining with all the external pressure. Tonight, I just came along and wanted to enjoy it.
"I thought 'Pendles' [Scott Pendlebury] and 'Juddy' were going to go close, but somehow I managed to pinch a few votes off them and here I stand."
