Former Hawthorn star Sam Mitchell won’t say whether Jobe Watson deserved to lose his Brownlow Medal.

But he and Richmond captain Trent Cotchin never considered knocking back the joint award after the AFL officially stripped Watson of the 2012 Brownlow for his role in the Essendon supplements saga.

“In this game I guess you accept the umpire’s call and we’re both very proud to be Brownlow Medallists,” Mitchell said during a press conference with Cotchin on Thursday.