"We’re not miles away from it on the ladder. We’re still in the hunt as far as finals go ... we’re not willing to shut down the season just yet,” Mitchell said on Monday.
Mitchell said the 11th-placed Hawks remained hungry for victories and had not given up hope of making the finals this season.
And they definitely weren't starting preparations for 2010.
“We just try to go out and win every game. I don’t think there will be any of that preparing for next year sort of thing happening,” he said.
Speaking two days after the Hawks’ 88-point loss to the Western Bulldogs, Mitchell says there was no single area that needed to be addressed.
“I’d love to be able to say it’s this one thing; it’s just injury, or just game plan, or just (new) rules. It’s not any one thing - its a few little things that all add up,” Mitchell said.
“You’ve got to be right on your game to be competitive in this competition.
"You add up one per cent here or one per cent there and it ends up (meaning) you’re a fair bit off.”
Saturday's loss was Hawthorn’s heaviest since winning the premiership last year, and the disappointment was felt deeply by players, coaches and fans alike.
“We are just trying to get our seventh win; 6-8 is not where we want to be," Mitchell said.
Several fans at Docklands expressed displeasure to the Hawthorn skipper in no uncertain terms.
One fan could be seen on the TV replay screaming at the side as it left the ground at half-time. Another showered Mitchell with alcohol.
“I had a cup of beer tipped on me at half time. It was pretty disappointing when that sort of thing happens,” Mitchell said.
“It is disappointing for them when we put together a performance like that, so I can understand what they go through.
"If you are going to listen to the fans when everything’s going well and they’re patting you on the back, then you better listen to them when things aren’t going that well.
"They have got their right to say whatever they like.”
In some good news for the Hawks, Cyril Rioli and Trent Croad are recovering well from injury.
“I think we get Cyril back this week, which will be good," Mitchell said.
"Trent is getting closer; he’s doing a fair bit of running and a bit of training over the last couple of weeks.”
