James Sicily

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James Sicily has been the subject of discussion in footy media this week, with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell answering questions about his form after a shocker in the close loss to Geelong on Easter Monday. Mostly playing his familiar third tall defender role with new recruits Tom Barrass and Josh Battle strengthening the defensive spine, Sicily is still capable of anything but can frequently try for too much, especially by foot. The biomechanics of his kicking should be under question, with too many shanks and miskicks already this season. He's entertaining, either way.

James Sicily has been the subject of discussion in footy media this week, with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell answering questions about his form after a shocker in the close loss to Geelong on Easter Monday. Mostly playing his familiar third tall defender role with new recruits Tom Barrass and Josh Battle strengthening the defensive spine, Sicily is still capable of anything but can frequently try for too much, especially by foot. The biomechanics of his kicking should be under question, with too many shanks and miskicks already this season. He's entertaining, either way.

James Sicily has had one of the more dramatic years in the AFL this year. On the mend from off-season surgery, he started 2024 with some terrible form, as did the rest of his team, with the two inextricably linked at the moment. Upon the return of Will Day the Hawks improved and Sicily had some good days, but then popped his shoulder out and has lost much of his willingness to seek out a contest. With speculation about Hawthorn chasing key defenders in the off season, the prospect of a return to form with a possible move forward may have to wait until 2025.

James Sicily was one of a host of slightly underpriced premium defenders coming into 2022, discounted due to long-term injury that saw him miss all of last year. In his absence the Hawthorn defence added Changkuoth Jiath, Lachlan Bramble and Will Day, making Sicily's position somewhat in flux. His best game makes use of his intercepting prowess and disposal skills on the rebound, but in previous years he has had to play some more defensive roles. He has proven a more than useful premium scorer so far in this campaign.

James Sicily missed all of last campaign after an ACL rupture late in 2020, and he returns to a Hawthorn side with a lot of half back flankers and not much depth in tall defenders. His role before injury - apart from a short-lived jaunt forward - was mostly to be third tall back with a lot of responsibility for rebounding, making use of his exquisite disposal skills by foot. IN his absence Changkuoth Jiath played a fair bit of his role, and it will be interesting to see what the dynamic is with both in the side this year. Plenty of fantasy coaches have placed faith in his resurgence.

James Sicily has had a year off from professional football following a late-season ACL rupture in 2019. He returns to a Hawthorn defence which has flourished in his absence, so much so that it's hard to figure out what the best back six is for the Hawks given the quality of cattle on the list. Sicily at his best is arguably the most damaging defender in the game, which makes him a highly desirable fantasy asset if he regains full fitness for round 1. One does wonder if he will be required to shore up holes in the lowly Hawker forward line, which might limit his output.

Sicily stuck in Sargasso

Across his first full slate of senior games, intercept defender James Sicily continued to shine throughout 2019. He was among the top-scoring backs in the first half of the year, but then an ill-fated move forward interrupted his rhythm and he dropped his fantasy average by 20 points. He failed to pass 20 disposals six times post the bye after just once beforehand. His role evolved towards the end of the season to resemble more of a traditional key defender, with scoring dependent on variable volume of uncontested marks.
Sicily started off as a model of how to adapt to the 6-6-6 rule and its removal of the seventh man, but then started devolving. Hopefully, a flow on effect of recent acquisitions Sam Frost and Jonathon Patton is that Sicily will be able to perform in his preferred role as an intercept defender. One of the highest scoring fantasy defenders over the previous two seasons, the decline in output may present for a bargain selection. Grab him in middle rounds if he has not been reached for earlier.

James Sicily does his best work intercepting in defence and, while others in his position have had to change their role under the new 6-6-6 rules which discourage seventh defenders, Sicily has developed his craft to zone off third talls rather than being loose, making him well suited to the new rules regime. A foray forward in an undermanned outfit in the JLT had some fantasy coaches worried about a less lucrative role change, but once the home & away started any of that talk soon faded away, as it is clear Alastair Clarkson wants him at half back.

James the half back prince

Moving from forward to back halfway through 2017, James Sicily has risen to prominence as an elite interceptor and disposer. The anger-prone Sicily created offensive drive with his kicking exploits, registering the second most metres gained in the competition. He missed six weeks with a break to the scaphoid, returning just in time for the finals series. Registering the second most intercept possessions in the competition, the 2013 third round selection is at the pinnacle of half back craft.
Enjoying a near faultless eighteen months from a form perspective, Sicily will aim to play his first full season at the professional level as none of the injuries he has suffered are typically recurring. Capable of developing further given his youth, the only concern may be a series of injuries to the forward line and a subsequent role change, a position he has performed with less statistical production. Absent that disaster, selection after the first few rounds would be logical.

Sicily gets two jobs

Primarily positioned as a forward in the previous campaign, James Sicily moved to defence after a lean spell last season and immediately looked at home. In fact, the positional change led to nearly 13 more possessions per game as the interceptor won pundit praise around the country. Perhaps the greatest praise came from Brendan Bolton in Round 22, giving Jed Lamb the tagging role on the prodigious youngster.
An obstacle Sicily must overcome in this year’s campaign is the tagger. As oppo analysts cotton on to his quality and given his ineffectual 13-disposal performance against Lamb, he can expect greater attention. Entering his fourth season and with positional stability appearing more likely than seasons past, there are reasons to be optimistic in the half back's statistical improvement. Selecting him as a third defender would be a reasonable outcome for drafters.