Mark Raymond Hutchings (born 25 May 1991) is a former Australian rules footballer who played nine seasons for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League (AFL) between 2013 and 2021. He was selected by in the 2010 Rookie Draft, but was delisted after a season at the club without having made his senior debut. After playing for in the West Australian Football League (WAFL), he was drafted by West Coast in the 2012 National Draft, and made his senior AFL debut during the 2013 season. In 2018, he was a member of West Coast's AFL premiership-winning team.

Junior career Hutchings graduated from Warwick Senior High School in Perth in 2008 and was part of the school's renowned Specialist Australian Rules Football Program. He played junior football for the Ballajura Junior Football Club and Coolbinia Junior Football Club's,"Bombers hit high mark" – Community Newspaper Group. Published 7 February 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2013. and later represented Western Australia at the 2007 National Under-16 Championships."YOUNG GUN" – The West Australian. Published 8 May 2009. Retrieved from Factiva, 24 June 2013. Zoned to the East Perth Football Club, where he played in the colts (under-18) and reserves divisions of the West Australian Football League (WAFL), Hutchings made his senior debut for East Perth in early August 2008, recording 21 disposals against in what The West Australian described as a "spectacular debut".Townsend, John (2008). "Royal inspiration as veterans hurt" – The West Australian. Published 4 August 2008. Retrieved from Factiva, 24 June 2013. He went on to play in each of the club's five remaining matches, and the following season played in the club's first seven matches, before being named in Western Australia's team for the 2009 National Under-18 Championships.Mark HUTCHINGS (East Perth) – West Australian Football League. Retrieved 24 June 2013. Hutchings was named as captain of the team that went on to win the championships, and was best on ground in the game against the Northern Territory.O'Donoghue, Craig (2009). "WA must stop next big thing" – The West Australian. Published 13 June 2009. Retrieved from Factiva, 24 June 2013. Although he was not named in the under-18 All-Australian team, he was one of 75 (and 13 WA-based) players invited to the AFL draft camp,O'Donoghue, Craig (2009). "Jetta reward with invite to draft camp" – The West Australian. Published 27 August 2009. Retrieved from Factiva, 24 June 2013. where he went on to finish equal third in the beep test, with a score of 14.12.Sherwood, Merryn (2009). "This year's draftees look set to go the distance" – Canberra Times. Published 3 October 2009. Retrieved from Factiva, 24 June 2013.

Senior career Overlooked at the 2009 National Draft in November 2009, Hutchings was selected by the St Kilda Football Club with the 20th pick in the following month's Rookie Draft.O'Donoghue, Craig (2009). "East Perth teenager perfect fit for Saints" – The West Australian. Published 16 December 2009. Retrieved from Factiva, 24 June 2013. However, he was de-listed by St Kilda at the end of the 2010 season, without playing a senior match for the club.Foreman, Glen (2013). "Mantra revives West Coast recruit Mark Hutchings' dream" – The Sunday Times. Published 24 February 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2013. He had spent most of the season playing for Sandringham Football Club, St Kilda's , playing twelve games and kicking three goals.Statistics for Sandringham playing in 2010 VFL Seniors – Sandringham Football Club. Retrieved 24 June 2013. Returning to Western Australia, Hutchings was recruited by the West Perth Football Club.Reid, Russell (2011). "Falcons swoop on forgotten Saint" – The West Australian. Published 15 January 2011. Retrieved from Factiva, 24 June 2013. He made his senior debut for the team in the second round of the 2011 season, and was outstanding early in the season—West Perth was undefeated in its first eight games, and Hutchings was the leader of The West Australian Footballer of the Year competition after nine rounds."Hutchings flies past teammate" – The West Australian. Published 20 May 2011. Retrieved from Factiva, 24 June 2013. He went on to be named in Western Australia's initial 31-man squad for the 2011 state game against Queensland,Reid, Russell (2011). "Selectors reward Falcons for good form" – The West Australian. Published 13 May 2011. Retrieved from Factiva, 24 June 2013. but did not make the final team after suffering a hamstring injury against Peel.Reid, Russell (2011). "Thunder and lightning" – The West Australian. Published 13 June 2011. Retrieved from Factiva, 24 June 2013. Hutchings finished the season with 21 games for West Perth, and polled 21 votes to finish fourteenth in the Sandover Medal."Blackwell claims 2011 Sandover Medal" – West Australian Football League. Retrieved 24 June 2013.

Following on from his form for West Perth, Hutchings nominated for the 2011 AFL draft, but was again overlooked, despite having excelled at both WAFL- and AFL-run draft combines.O'Donoghue, Craig (2011). "WAFL stars stepping up" – The West Australian. Published 15 October 2011. Retrieved from Factiva, 24 June 2013.O'Donoghue, Craig (2011). "School to come first for son of a gun" – The West Australian. Published 17 October 2011. Retrieved from Factiva, 24 June 2013. Further good form during the 2012 season led to Hutchings' selection in the state team to play against South Australia, where he was the youngest player in the side.Townsend, John (2012). "Stoppage king comes of age" – The West Australian. Published 25 May 2012. Retrieved from Factiva, 24 June 2013. He played another 20 games for West Perth during the season, and was awarded the Breckler Medal as the club's best and fairest player."HUTCHINGS TAKES HOME FIRST BRECKLER" – West Perth Football Club. Published 9 October 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2013. In the Sandover Medal, he polled 51 votes to finish second behind 's Kane Mitchell, the highest number of votes ever polled by a West Perth player.Townsend, John (2012). "Mitchell joins the elite" – The West Australian. Published 18 September 2012. Retrieved from Factiva, 24 June 2013. In the 2012 National Draft, Hutchings was selected by the West Coast Eagles with the 60th pick overall.Malcolm, Alex (2013). "Eagle Hutchings better off for first-up failure" – Australian Football League. Published 10 May 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2013.Butler, Steve; Lacy, Bridget; and O'Donoghue, Craig (2012). "Falcon deserved another chance" – The West Australian. Published 23 November 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2013. Beginning the 2013 season with West Perth, after several 25-plus-disposal games, he was named to make his senior debut against the ,Robinson, Chris (2013). "West Coast's Mark Hutchings wins senior call-up for Brisbane clash" – Herald Sun. Published 9 May 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2013. and recorded 15 disposals on debut. Hutchings played most of the remainder of the season for West Coast, filling a midfield role after a run of injuries to other players, with a high of 26 disposals against the .Mark Hutchings playing statistics – AFL Tables. Retrieved 24 June 2013. Against , he recorded 16 tackles, which was both a club record and an overall season record, as well as the equal third-highest tackle count since the statistic was first recorded in 1987.2013 Player Game High Records – Footywire AFL Statistics. Retrieved 4 August 2013.Most Tackles In A Game – AFL Tables. Retrieved 4 August 2013. At the conclusion of West Coast's AFL season Hutchings returned to West Perth to play in the WAFL Finals. West Perth went on to win the Grand Final by 49 points, and Hutchings was awarded the Simpson Medal for best afield with 29 disposals and 3 goals.

After his debut season Hutchings continued to be a regular part of the senior team, and was part of the 2015 Grand Final team that lost to Hawthorn. Over the course of his career, Hutchings was tasked with tagging roles more and more regularly, and by 2018 he was considered one of the best taggers in the competition. His most notable performance was in the 2018 Grand Final, when he kept Steele Sidebottom to 14 disposals after he had 41 disposals in the preliminary final the week prior, as well as having 15 disposals and kicking a goal himself. West Coast won the game by five points making Hutchings a premiership player. In Round 5 2019, Hutchings played his 100th game for West Coast.

Statistics

|- style="background:#EAEAEA" | scope="row" text-align:center | 2013 | | 34 || 9 || 1 || 3 || 102 || 84 || 186 || 34 || 60 || 0.1 || 0.3 || 11.3 || 9.3 || 20.7 || 3.8 || 6.7 || 0 |- | scope="row" text-align:center | 2014 | | 34 || 16 || 8 || 7 || 161 || 126 || 287 || 46 || 88 || 0.5 || 0.4 || 10.1 || 7.9 || 17.9 || 2.9 || 5.5 || 0 |- style="background:#EAEAEA" | scope="row" text-align:center | 2015 | | 34 || 13 || 7 || 1 || 109 || 121 || 230 || 36 || 57 || 0.5 || 0.1 || 8.4 || 9.3 || 17.7 || 2.8 || 4.4 || 0 |- | scope="row" text-align:center | 2016 | | 34 || 18 || 13 || 3 || 155 || 133 || 288 || 49 || 86 || 0.7 || 0.2 || 8.6 || 7.4 || 16.0 || 2.7 || 4.8 || 2 |- style="background:#EAEAEA" | scope="row" text-align:center | 2017 | | 34 || 19 || 7 || 3 || 129 || 114 || 243 || 52 || 60 || 0.4 || 0.2 || 6.8 || 6.0 || 12.8 || 2.7 || 3.2 || 0 |- | bgcolor=F0E68C |2018# | | 34 || 20 || 9 || 5 || 212 || 130 || 342 || 69 || 87 || 0.5 || 0.3 || 10.6 || 6.5 || 17.1 || 3.5 || 4.4 || 0 |- style="background:#EAEAEA" | scope="row" text-align:center | 2019 | | 34 || 10 || 1 || 3 || 81 || 46 || 127 || 28 || 32 || 0.1 || 0.3 || 8.1 || 4.6 || 12.7 || 2.8 || 3.2 || 0 |- style="background:#EAEAEA" | scope="row" text-align:center | 2020 | | 34 || 3 || 0 || 0 || 15 || 9 || 24 || 35 || 4 || 0 || 0 || 5.0 || 3.0 || 8.0 || 1.67 || 1.33 || 0 |- style="background:#EAEAEA" | scope="row" text-align:center | 2021 | | 34 || 4 || 0 || 0 || 23 || 15 || 38 || 9 || 8 || 0 || 0 || 5.75 || 3.75 || 9.5 || 2.25 || 2.0 || 0 |- style="background:#EAEAEA; font-weight:bold; width:2em" | scope="row" text-align:center class="sortbottom" colspan=3 | Career | 120 | 46 | 27 | 1036 | 817 | 1853 | 352 | 492 | 0.38 | 0.22 | 8.63 | 6.81 | 15.44 | 2.93 | 4.10 | 2

Notes

Personal life After retiring from the AFL, Hutchings moved into a career in real estate.

In September 2026, Hutchings' partner died of a cardiac arrest in hospital two days after giving birth to their daughter.

See also List of West Coast Eagles players

References

External links