LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
On Thursday night, North Queensland Cowboys coach Todd Payten was observed in the coaches box of AFL team Hawthorn, where Hawthorn secured a win against the Western Bulldogs in Melbourne.
As the Cowboys geared up for their match against the Storm on Friday, Payten immersed himself in the coaching environment of another sport.
This unique relationship emerged during the pre-season, when Hawthorn's coach Sam Mitchell visited the Cowboys' camp to observe their approach during a trial match against the Storm in February.
Since that encounter, the two coaches have stayed connected, exchanging coaching philosophies and gaining insights into each other's styles during games.
Mitchell, a 329-game player for Hawthorn and occasionally with West Coast, began his coaching career as an assistant at West Coast in 2018.
Like Payten, he achieved a premiership as an assistant in 2018.
Payten also celebrated a grand final win as an assistant coach with the Cowboys in 2015.
The collaboration between the two sports has fostered an intriguing cross-pollination of strategies and practices in both coaching realms.