Toast James Sicily - Hawthorn captain 2023 - AA 2023!

[hawkhamlet]

Richly deserved. He plays so much better without CJ in the backline.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

A thought bubble is that if we can get McKay in Free Agency this will really free Sic up next year to run riot as a loose half back.

In that scenario he could be racking up 30+ possies and 15+ mark games on a weekly basis.

If (and its a big if) the AFL dont get him on another jumped up charge he would go close to winning the Brownlow with that kind of output.

 

[MasterSamurai]

Should been his second blazer. Congratulations captain, well deserved!
Those marks reading the ball are so lake like.

 

[Elhawko]

One thing in Sicilys favour is that Mew, Knights, etc played in some pretty outstanding teams alongside lots of stars.

Sic has had to hold our entire backline together in some fairly ordinary teams (look how we went this year when he was suspended).

Anyway comparisons are always difficult but I think we can agree he’s been the best overall backman in the AFL over the last five years.

I’d never take anything away from Sic, given not only is he outstanding as it is but if he could play as a third tall as befits his height he’d go to another level. But I have often thought that if Peter Knights was playing as a third tall interceptor tiday he’d be unbelievable. They are pretty close actually.

Bruce Doull would have been something else in that role too!

 

[SSSSSS]

A thought bubble is that if we can get McKay in Free Agency this will really free Sic up next year to run riot as a loose half back.

In that scenario he could be racking up 30+ possies and 15+ mark games on a weekly basis.

If (and its a big if) the AFL dont get him on another jumped up charge he would go close to winning the Brownlow with that kind of output.

Actually really liked the look of Sicily playing HBF and roaming up to the centre bounce for the fast clearance.

Did it a few times later on in the year to try and shake the forward tag and looked deadly.

 

[Ashman23]

Finally but a year late.

Congrats to James.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

He’s a genuine superstar of the competition. I’d say pretty easily the best defender in the league. He does it all, he’s an elite intercept defender and reads the play exceptionally. But he also locks his opponent down and his defensive loss % was freakishly elite. He demands the ball and finds it with such ease. He takes games apart and stamps his dominance on it. His ball use is excellent and tears apart defensive structures with his laser of a right and his footy smarts. He leads from the front by example but also with his ability to setup defensive 50.

Still think he can go up a notch next year, started the season okay and if he plays all the games too + playing the third tall role more often to than be more damaging forward and even pushing up and kicking goals. He’d be ready to display one of the best defensive seasons ever.

Congratulations

 

[toomanysquibs]

Congratulations Himly, incredible to breakthrough into the side.

But shame on you All Australian selectors, it's an absolute joke that he wasn't in the side last year.

Arguably the biggest bunch of flogs in charge of any award, and most notably a group more swayed footy opinion acolytes and the back page of the HS than they are by actual performance on match day.

Independent critical thought has been mostly absent from them for some time.

 

[toomanysquibs]

Reckon he should get a few blazers in his later years just to even things up.

Now he’s in the team he will be hard to dislodge as he is amazingly consistent.

I would love that to happen, but then I'd also have liked to see more Hawks in those teams through our three peat years.

 

[tommyk72]

Big congrats to Sic. I thought he wouldn't make it based on games missed and the last three where his impact was minimal. Didn't make me think he wasn't AA quality, just wasn't sure he'd get over the line.

A truly unique player, with - I think - another level to go to. Go Sic!

 

[burger09]

At least we can sleep at night knowing he is almost as good as Callum Wilkie

44

Callum Wilkie

Age

28

Ht

191cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.2

4star

K

9.8

4star

HB

4.4

3star

M

4.5

4star

T

1.8

4star

MG

221.3

3star

D

12.6

3star

K

9.0

4star

HB

3.6

2star

M

2.6

3star

T

1.4

2star

MG

223.1

3star

D

14.0

4star

K

8.4

4star

HB

5.6

4star

M

4.6

5star

T

2.2

4star

MG

170.0

3star

.

 

[The Chad and I]

Zero premierships.
Stay focused.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Congratulations Himly, incredible to breakthrough into the side.

But shame on you All Australian selectors, it's an absolute joke that he wasn't in the side last year.

Arguably the biggest bunch of flogs in charge of any award, and most notably a group more swayed footy opinion acolytes and the back page of the HS than they are by actual performance on match day.

Independent critical thought has been mostly absent from them for some time.

From what some selectors have alluded to, the ceo has the final say on the side. The selectors are effectively consultants. So it may be that ol gil is gone that Sicily made it

 

[HedgeFund]

From what some selectors have alluded to, the ceo has the final say on the side. The selectors are effectively consultants. So it may be that ol gil is gone that Sicily made it

It says Gil was the chairman of the selection panel again. Dillon takes over for 2024.

Well done Sic. Very well deserved accolade. Had a great season indeed.

 

[hfc70]

O Captain ! My Captain !

About fcuking time !!!!

Well deserved albeit a few years late
But blind Freddie could see he is All Australian material

Shocked that he isn’t the AA Captain
Even more shocked the turds didn’t stick him on the interchange bench !!

Now for Lewis, Day & Newc in ‘24

 

[Burtman]

Well deserved AA, just pissed off it took this long. I genuinely believe this was his third best season. Glad he’s getting some rewards and recognition now

 

[Simon Crawshay]

What I find remarkable about The Blonde Prince is that from the very first game we threw him down back (2017?) he was very good in that role.

He didn't need to work into it, he took to it like a duck to water and by his second season as a full time CHB he was AA quality.

A remarkable feat to go from a talented but inconsistent half forward to a gun Backman in such a short period of time.

 

[hawksfan71]

I'm amazed he even got it seeing how much the afl hates the hawks and sicily, imagine banning someone for 3 matches for one of the best tackles of the year and one which the umpire paid him a free for The AFL is a complete joke, could be worse could be a Crows supporter , that was disgraceful

 

[hawksfan71]

Congratulations Himly, incredible to breakthrough into the side.

But shame on you All Australian selectors, it's an absolute joke that he wasn't in the side last year.

Arguably the biggest bunch of flogs in charge of any award, and most notably a group more swayed footy opinion acolytes and the back page of the HS than they are by actual performance on match day.

Independent critical thought has been mostly absent from them for some time.

the All Australian Side shouldn't even make the fake news it's such a friggin one sided joke

 

[xmarksthespot]

From what some selectors have alluded to, the ceo has the final say on the side. The selectors are effectively consultants. So it may be that ol gil is gone that Sicily made it

Hanlon's Razor.

Congratulations James. Well desevered.

 

[The Spirit of Cricket]

disturbingly good player this bloke

 

[ahhhhhh]

He’s in the top 5 Hawthorn players I’ve seen in the last 20 years (living memory).

 

[cs61]

Last year Cornes and Healy said Sicily didn’t make AA because he was in the the fullback category then it would be May that is picked as he was better one on one, and therefore no spot for him. Was the biggest BS I have ever heard as no other defender is in the Sicily category, in that he can dominate intercept marks, and set it up with his damaging kicking as if he is Matt Suckling once he gets it. Cornes with no sense of irony was crying “why doesnt anyone tag him?” when he destroyed Collingwood this year.

What is worse I remember in previous years they always shuffled players around to get the best in. Not only did Jeremy Cameron

5

Jeremy Cameron

Age

31

Ht

196cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.5

3star

K

9.0

3star

HB

3.4

3star

M

5.4

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

2.6

5star

D

10.0

3star

K

7.1

3star

HB

2.9

2star

M

4.6

4star

T

2.0

3star

G

1.9

5star

D

8.2

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

3.2

3star

M

4.6

5star

T

2.4

4star

G

2.0

5star

get picked in his break out year, when Roughead won coleman medal and clearly best forward, they moved ROUGHHEAD to the pocket and gave CAMERON full forward.

 

[extractasam]

Great year from Sic. So reliable.

Interesting to see him get tagged the last few rounds, particularly Melksham, Cox, Sharman. They all did the exact same thing and try to jump over his head. Going to be interested to see how he combats this going into next year, I presume they will have something up their sleeve because it did work quite well at times for other teams.

 

[KermitJagger]

Last year Cornes and Healy said Sicily didn’t make AA because he if he was in the the fullback category then it would be May that is picked as he was better one on one, and therefore not spot for him. Was the biggest BS I have ever heard as no other defender is in the Sicily category, that he can dominate intercept marks, and set it up with his damaging kicking as if he is Matt Suckling once he gets it. Cornes with no sense of irony was crying “why doesnt anyone tag him?” when he destroyed Collingwood this year.

What is worse I remember in previous years they always shuffled players around to get the best in. Not only did Jeremy Cameron get picked in his break out year, when Roughead won coleman medal and clearly best forward, they moved ROUGHHEAD to the pocket and gave CAMERON full forward.

Yeah, that rationalisation never really held water considering the AA team has continually picked inside mids on the wings, full forwards in the forward pockets, back flanks in the back pockets and this year they had Nick Daicos as the rover.