‘POLARISING FIGURE’ GETS NOD AS HAWKS CAPTAIN
STAR defender James Sicily will get the chance to push his case as Hawthorn’s next captain, after being chosen to skipper the side against Melbourne this Saturday, in his 100th game and for three matches that follow.
Hawks coach Sam Mitchell conceded the 27-year-old was a “polarising figure” in the AFL, but said no one could doubt his passion for his team and his teammates.
With a new contract also looming, Sicily will take his role in the captaincy rotation at Hawthorn with Ben McEvoy still wearing a neck brace and still some time away from returning.
Mitchell said he sat down with both Sicily and Jaeger O’Meara, who showed “great promise” as potential captains, and they opted to share the captaincy until at least round 10.
“James Sicily is one of those polarising figures in the game,” Mitchell said.“... (but) he’s matured significantly.
“His passion for the game, his understanding of it and his ability to read what’s happening live as well as post-game (is outstanding).
“His passion for not just his own performance, but the team’s collective performance, and the direction that we’re going has been significant.”
Sicily missed all of the 2021 season with a knee injury, but has returned with stunning effect in 2022, and despite attracting interest from other clubs, has already declared his intention to sign a new deal with Hawthorn.
McEvoy was re-appointed captain this year, but at 32 the Hawks could look to make a change in 2023, and Sicily and O’Meara, who has acted as stand-in skipper, loom as potential choices
“They’ve both brought different things to the table, but we feel they’re both ready to captain the AFL team at the moment,” Mitchell said. “We’ll wait and see if anyone else steps up, but they’re the two standout candidates at the moment.”