James Sicily and his development

[Lithium]

He does the Lindsay Thomas more than the Selwood, pointing the body at a low 45 degree angle into the tackle, whilst throwing the head back

We don't need to try to deny it, it just makes us look like the same one-eyed campaigners you see elsewhere...

Yes. We shouldn't deny it. His very good at drawing a high free kick.

 

[Lethality]

4 goals in a half is not a bad effort. He does remind me of an 80s footballer, probably because of the slim build and the fact that he goes for his marks, which you saw more in that era. For Hawthorn he reminds me a bit of Judge or Buckenara. I would like him to get stronger in holding his position in marking contests and I saw a bit of that last night.

Pretty good for a Pick 55.

 

[Blaze Storm]

Agreed, just as much of a ducker as Selwood/Thomas except he gets about 2 frees per game max from it.

Compare to Thomas who usually is good for 3-4 high tackles, and Selwood would be up around the 4-5 mark.

 

[tommyk72]

I'm going to repeat what I said in an earlier thread re: the ducking, as i've watched a little closer and my opinion hasn't changed

I reckon all of this is a massive beat up. Not just Sicily, but generally. It's one thing to duck to take head high contact for a free, and another to try and manoeuvre (whether that's twisting, turning, jumping or ducking) to try and get away from an oncoming tackle. We're talking about split second decisions here. I think many are giving players way to much credit for just trying to get out of an oncoming tackle

 

[Noneedforaname]

Sicily definitely leans and throws the head back. More Poppy than the ducker Selwood. They are not in the same league in their actions, though are lumped together because of the resulting free.

That said, the 2nd incident, Sicily started low with bent knees, took possession of the ball and then was tackled. He didnt drop anything. Twist of the head accentuates the tackle, but no duck. In attempting to rise he's taken high. Free kick every day of the week.

Hate the way all these actions have been lumped together. Take the KS examples. He has gone in low, and Im certain would have been absolutely cleaned up with a high shot. The fact self preservation kicks in and he tries to sheild his face by ducking excuses the tackler from any duty of care. Should he have just taken the face smashing so he could legitimately say the free kick was earnt?

Bit of a shame that the spotlight has fallen on our two guys in all of this. Many, many worse offenders doing the rounds are lauded for it. I would be happy to see someone legitimatey rip into a head (duckwood, or thomas would be apt) delivering some physical punishment. Old school karma might wake them up and stop playing for frees, instead of knowing they will be rewarded which only encourages them to flirt with danger.
Given all the 'head is sacrosanct' babble, the efforts to resolve things certainly havent worked. Rewarding the ducking has encouraged a new generation to adjust their play to walk even closer to that fine line where tragedy can occur.
Stop rewarding duckwood for his actions, and when the tears stop, so will his actions. The rate of high tackles, and corresponding danger that accompanies it will decrease. Would go a big way to solving the problem.

 

[Pessimistic]

One thing Etihad allows you is to be close to the race when they enter and leave the field.

Sicily walked off after game alongside Gunston after the game (I wonder if Gunner is the mentor/mate) and their build and stature is almost the same. so Sicily may already be the size and shape he will be for his career, hers hoping he has one like Gunners.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Love the fact he has a bit of mongrel in him. We have a lot of nice guys.

Most improved player for mine and love the fact he is being groomed to play both ends.

 

[Pessimistic]

Love the fact he has a bit of mongrel in him. We have a lot of nice guys.

Most improved player for mine and love the fact he is being groomed to play both ends.

Competitive, hence the frees. While they are being given out, I have no qualms about accepting the spoils

 

[grumbleguts]

My issue with the ducking, was it took non-selwood players to start doing it before they started talking seriously about it. As long as it is only the arm-oiling selwood doing it it is all good and good on him for finding a loophole and all that, but as soon as someone else did it, it became an affront to the rules of the game and offended the sensibilities of all decent football commentators.

 

[BlueWaterHawk]

Sicily definitely leans and throws the head back. More Poppy than the ducker Selwood. They are not in the same league in their actions, though are lumped together because of the resulting free.

That said, the 2nd incident, Sicily started low with bent knees, took possession of the ball and then was tackled. He didnt drop anything. Twist of the head accentuates the tackle, but no duck. In attempting to rise he's taken high. Free kick every day of the week.

Hate the way all these actions have been lumped together. Take the KS examples. He has gone in low, and Im certain would have been absolutely cleaned up with a high shot. The fact self preservation kicks in and he tries to sheild his face by ducking excuses the tackler from any duty of care. Should he have just taken the face smashing so he could legitimately say the free kick was earnt?

Bit of a shame that the spotlight has fallen on our two guys in all of this. Many, many worse offenders doing the rounds are lauded for it. I would be happy to see someone legitimatey rip into a head (duckwood, or thomas would be apt) delivering some physical punishment. Old school karma might wake them up and stop playing for frees, instead of knowing they will be rewarded which only encourages them to flirt with danger.
Given all the 'head is sacrosanct' babble, the efforts to resolve things certainly havent worked. Rewarding the ducking has encouraged a new generation to adjust their play to walk even closer to that fine line where tragedy can occur.
Stop rewarding duckwood for his actions, and when the tears stop, so will his actions. The rate of high tackles, and corresponding danger that accompanies it will decrease. Would go a big way to solving the problem.

Well said, I think the footy world needs to calm down a little, having a tackle slip high isn't going to do any more damage than a very sore face (pick your spot). It's nothing like barging into someone head first putting the neck and brain in the firing line. If a free is drawn for a tackle initiating on the arm and slipping high, then IMO there just needs to be room for the umpires to decide who caused it, no need to start some radical campaign to save the baby porpoises or anything. Sometimes they'll get it wrong, but we can live with that.

Our young lads are just the media focus because we're the enemy now, everyone wants to knock us off.

 

[tenderwarrior]

Does anyone truly think that Sis ducked his head in those 2 tackles last night.
When you twist and turn your knees bend and consequently you get lower.
It was certainly not Lindsay or Duckwood like

I thought it was exactly Lindsay or Selwood like, as in not dropping the head but dropping the body. Smart play if you can get away with it. He was brilliant on Friday night. O'Brien is showing some promising signs too!

 

[Pessimistic]

I thought it was exactly Lindsay or Selwood like, as in not dropping the head but dropping the body. Smart play if you can get away with it. He was brilliant on Friday night. O'Brien is showing some promising signs too!

Id imagine we wont be chasing cloke tbh. Daw might want to take is chances in the hawks ruck division, slightly better chance than a north premiership

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Id imagine we wont be chasing cloke tbh. Daw might want to take is chances in the hawks ruck division, slightly better chance than a north premiership

Surely we don't want Daw????

 

[Pessimistic]

Surely we don't want Daw????

Throwaway line. could be improved with decent culture

 

[savagebradley]

Surely we don't want Daw????

The only reason for taking Daw is the $300,000 ambassadorship money.
It helps the salary cap.

But it means you can't play him at Box Hill, so no go.

 

[Blaze Storm]

Eventually everyone is going to do it, and it will take that huge blight on the game before the AFL actually outlaw the shrug. And I'm sure the Scott brothers will be the first to whinge.

 

[savagebradley]

Eventually everyone is going to do it, and it will take that huge blight on the game before the AFL actually outlaw the shrug. And I'm sure the Scott brothers will be the first to whinge.

What it will take is for Selwood to NOT receive a free when he ducks.
Then things will happen.

And, yes, the Scott brothers will be the first to whinge!

 

[Noneedforaname]

I thought it was exactly Lindsay or Selwood like, as in not dropping the head but dropping the body. Smart play if you can get away with it. He was brilliant on Friday night. O'Brien is showing some promising signs too!

So if he's low when he takes the ball, and doesn't regain his full upright posture, that ths same as duckwood, who from a fully upright position, upon body contact initiates his routine, the dying possum, the dead fish, call it what people will?

Two very different actions, though same conclussion.

 

[tenderwarrior]

So if he's low when he takes the ball, and doesn't regain his full upright posture, that ths same as duckwood, who from a fully upright position, upon body contact initiates his routine, the dying possum, the dead fish, call it what people will?

Two very different actions, though same conclussion.

I was at the game friday night and thought it was a similar action, but I am not going to argue with you. My main reason for posting wasn't to defend Selwood but to rather comment on Sicily, who I think is a fantastic young player - Hawks have a very talented and smart footballer there.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

As I've said elsewhere
Why Thomas cops it is because he looks at the umpire, and if he doesn't get a free, he sooks about it

Selwood was similar (has since stopped the look and sook)

There is also the fact that, at this stage, Puopolo and Sicily are ducking, but they are still playing the footy
If they get to the stage where they expect a free, and stop trying to play, that's when it becomes a major issue

 

[Noneedforaname]

I was at the game friday night and thought it was a similar action, but I am not going to argue with you. My main reason for posting wasn't to defend Selwood but to rather comment on Sicily, who I think is a fantastic young player - Hawks have a very talented and smart footballer there.

Ha! Didnt see you were a cat supporter. No matter. Without going to the Cats board to find out, are supporters there as generally dismissive and condemning of duckwood as people are here of Sicily? I'm sure we all hope he cuts it out of his game, and was wondering if there was any similar suggestions from cats supporters for the duck? Perhaps too late for that, I know.

Im not wholly defending Sicily BTW, just the 2nd one, the contentious match winning one that the umpires gifted us, in revenge for Linsay, just to troll norths, to see Brad squeal etc etc etc. I don't like his efforts, but think they are a different beast to thing duckwood gets away with.

 

[tenderwarrior]

Ha! Didnt see you were a cat supporter. No matter. Without going to the Cats board to find out, are supporters there as generally dismissive and condemning of duckwood as people are here of Sicily? I'm sure we all hope he cuts it out of his game, and was wondering if there was any similar suggestions from cats supporters for the duck? Perhaps too late for that, I know.

To be honest, I don't spend too much time on the Cats board, so couldn't say..

 

[Noneedforaname]

To be honest, I don't spend too much time on the Cats board, so couldn't say..

Fair enough. Cheers anyway.

 

[Blaze Storm]

To be honest, I don't spend too much time on the Cats board, so couldn't say..

Probably for the best, really

 

[MoustachioNuts]

Has young Jimmy had his first shave?