Toast James Sicily - Hawthorn captain 2023 - AA 2023!

[cryptor]

When he gets baited into this off the ball stuff by the opposition he rarely plays well and often ends up the one cited by the MRP. All his best games have been when he goes zen, ignores the opposition and just beats them with his footy ability.

Every time the league sees this tactic work on Sicily the more likely it will be tried by the next opponent. He just needs to cut it out and focus on leading the team by playing good footy. We can't afford for him to be missing games over juvenile incidents.

 

[Bugs1977]

So what’s the gut feel on if there’s any chance this can have the impact down graded from medium? I’m not going to crucify the guy because he had pretty much their whole backline getting into him but it is still very frustrating that he got baited into it.

 

[Paul Kersey]

First free wasn't there and I don't think the second one was warranted given he didn't initiate it. AFL needs to cut the shit out and penalise players for taunting - shit look imo.

 

[extractasam]

So what’s the gut feel on if there’s any chance this can have the impact down graded from medium? I’m not going to crucify the guy because he had pretty much their whole backline getting into him but it is still very frustrating that he got baited into it.

I mean he’s kicked the bloke. It’s a fairly dog act. I personally thought it was hilarious being the crab McGrath but we’d all be scathing if anyone from their club did the same. Would be surprised if we appeal and absolutely do not expect him to get off if we do

 

[Simon Crawshay]

When he gets baited into this off the ball stuff by the opposition he rarely plays well and often ends up the one cited by the MRP. All his best games have been when he goes zen, ignores the opposition and just beats them with his footy ability.

Every time the league sees this tactic work on Sicily the more likely it will be tried by the next opponent. He just needs to cut it out and focus on leading the team by playing good footy. We can't afford for him to be missing games over juvenile incidents.

Being baited into doing something stupid is one thing, having to defend yourself against 8 guys to one is another thing together.

He wasn't responding, he was defending himself which everybody has a legal right too. On or off the footy field.

As I said before it was p.ss poor officiating to let the scum players get away with it on the day.

 

[Paul Kersey]

Being baited into doing something stupid is one thing, having to defend yourself against 8 guys to one is another thing together.

He wasn't responding, he was defending himself which everybody has a legal right too. On or off the footy field.

As I said before it was p.ss poor officiating to let the scum players get away with it on the day.

110%. Either penalise taunting just like NFL or if someone wants to be a hero and get in your face give them the option of a one on one like the NHL. Terrible look to have one bloke surrounded by a group of opposition players with one hero trying to rough him up whilst umpire just observes. Legit beggars belief. He just meant to stand there and cop it?

 

[cryptor]

Being baited into doing something stupid is one thing, having to defend yourself against 8 guys to one is another thing together.

He wasn't responding, he was defending himself which everybody has a legal right too. On or off the footy field.

As I said before it was p.ss poor officiating to let the scum players get away with it on the day.

Yeah I don’t buy that defending himself 1 v 8 view.

There might have been 8 Bombers in the vicinity but they were mostly just wandering around. It was him and McGrath locking eyes and going to bump each other. Sicily got lower to try and get under and flip the crab, and then stupidly kicked at him as he fell. Then the Bombers converged on him.

The club might be able to argue the impact down to low given it looked like a fairly soft kick. That would make it a fine only.

 

[Bugs1977]

Yeah I don’t buy that defending himself 1 v 8 view.

There might have been 8 Bombers in the vicinity but they were mostly just wandering around. It was him and McGrath locking eyes and going to bump each other. Sicily got lower to try and get under and flip the crab, and then stupidly kicked at him as he fell. Then the Bombers converged on him.

The club might be able to argue the impact down to low given it looked like a fairly soft kick. That would make it a fine only.

This is what I was alluding to in my earlier post

 

[Guardian Hawk]

Yeah I don’t buy that defending himself 1 v 8 view.

There might have been 8 Bombers in the vicinity but they were mostly just wandering around. It was him and McGrath locking eyes and going to bump each other. Sicily got lower to try and get under and flip the crab, and then stupidly kicked at him as he fell. Then the Bombers converged on him.

The club might be able to argue the impact down to low given it looked like a fairly soft kick. That would make it a fine only.

I think Sicily needs to be smarter (as it was a clear instruction/plan to ruffle him) and the kick especially was dumb but there is no way it was simply "8 wandering Bombers" and McGrath/Sicily lining each other up. By the time McGrath was coming at Sicily, Gresham had already shoved Sicily to the ground (which should have been a reversal of the original BS free), Stringer had come and elbowed Sicily, someone else (Gresham again?) had given him another shove and then McGrath was coming to lay a bump as well with others on their way to do the same. Once McGrath lined up to bump, Sicily braced and got lower, putting him on his butt (by which time all the other converging Bombers surrounded him and were rag dolling him around).

Still dumb to kick out/get sucked in (and worth noting some Bombers would have been coming over to congratulate McGrath rather than all coming for Sicily) but it is still ridiculous umpiring that an incorrect initial free can be paid (whatever, mistakes can be made) but then several players can aggressively instigate Sicily and nothing is done, while he is penalised for essentially defending himself (with the same action being repeatedly done to him).

Like Toby Greene - Sicily has a 'reputation' and the rules are applied to him differently (which they can't be - umpires MUST be neutral observers).

 

[hawkman]

When he gets baited into this off the ball stuff by the opposition he rarely plays well and often ends up the one cited by the MRP. All his best games have been when he goes zen, ignores the opposition and just beats them with his footy ability.

Every time the league sees this tactic work on Sicily the more likely it will be tried by the next opponent. He just needs to cut it out and focus on leading the team by playing good footy. We can't afford for him to be missing games over juvenile incidents.

His previous 2 MRP incidents were the block/bump against St Kilda in the middle of the best game of his career and a tackle that most think wasn't suspension worthy. Prior to those he was suspension free for 4 or 5 years, the only MRP incident in that time that I recall was a fine for taking off Naughton's headband.

 

[hawk for 37]

To be fair to McGrath, his side of the story on SEN should get Sicily off alone. Not contact felt and no mark on him.

But, I know it wont. It's James Sicily

6

James Sicily

Age

29

Ht

188cm

Wt

90kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

12.7

5star

HB

5.7

4star

M

6.3

5star

T

1.5

3star

MG

365.0

5star

D

19.4

4star

K

14.3

5star

HB

5.1

3star

M

5.9

5star

T

1.0

2star

MG

437.4

5star

D

10.0

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

4.2

4star

T

2.0

4star

MG

173.8

3star

.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

To be fair to McGrath, his side of the story on SEN should get Sicily off alone. Not contact felt and no mark on him.

But, I know it wont. It's James Sicily.

Which means they'll say it's attempted striking... remember Cyril?

 

[MrPremiership]

Dumb? Yes
Worth a week? No

Was a poor thing to do minutes into the first game of the year.

 

[TylerDurden]

Can they get him on intention to cause harm? If not, he gets off.

 

[cryptor]

Can they get him on intention to cause harm? If not, he gets off.

Use the "muscle memory" defence Sydney used when Goodes slide tackled Gibson.

The kick wasn't intentional but Sicily's muscle memory from the early days of his career when he was a cheeky boy.

 

[extractasam]

McGrath honouring the players code great to see. Thought it had become a lost tradition.

No doubt the kick was low impact but the act itself seems like one worthy of a week.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Wasn't even a kicking action. Get into a scuffle and you turn your body.
Turn your body whilst being pushed and the leg flicks up to counter balance

 

[Fleabane]

His previous 2 MRP incidents were the block/bump against St Kilda in the middle of the best game of his career and a tackle that most think wasn't suspension worthy. Prior to those he was suspension free for 4 or 5 years, the only MRP incident in that time that I recall was a fine for taking off Naughton's headband.

Call me childish but that rates as one of the funniest things I have seen... so unexpected, so silly but made perfect sense.

 

[QuietB]

Wasn't even a kicking action. Get into a scuffle and you turn your body.
Turn your body whilst being pushed and the leg flicks up to counter balance

Wasn't he just trying to sweep his legs like a playground bully.

If the AFL umpires were half competent none of it would have ever happened.

 

[The BIG X]

If the AFL umpires were half competent none of it would have ever happened.

SPOT ON.

 

[The Spirit of Cricket]

Wasn't he just trying to sweep his legs like a playground bully.

If the AFL umpires were half competent none of it would have ever happened.

this one was no doubt dumb but using it to label him as a hothead that needs to stop getting suspended is ignoring how completely ridiculous his two suspensions were last year. neither were from him lashing out after being frustrated, they were pretty normal footy plays where he got unfairly treated by the AFL (especially the McLuggage tackle)

the only thing he got done for in 2022 was a fine for ripping off Naughton's headband. which was hilarious and not a suspension

missed 21 with an ACL, no suspension in 2020 until the knee injury

so that's nearly five years without an incident like this. i do not think it's fair for some posters to be using data from over five years ago to suggest our captain is immature and needs to stop getting suspended for doing dumb shit, especially when he's clearly changed significantly since he tore his ACL.

 

[cryptor]

this one was no doubt dumb but using it to label him as a hothead that needs to stop getting suspended is ignoring how completely ridiculous his two suspensions were last year. neither were from him lashing out after being frustrated, they were pretty normal footy plays where he got unfairly treated by the AFL (especially the McLuggage tackle)

the only thing he got done for in 2022 was a fine for ripping off Naughton's headband. which was hilarious and not a suspension

missed 21 with an ACL, no suspension in 2020 until the knee injury

so that's nearly five years without an incident like this. i do not think it's fair for some posters to be using data from over five years ago to suggest our captain is immature and needs to stop getting suspended for doing dumb s**t, especially when he's clearly changed significantly since he tore his ACL.

It’s not just acts that get him in strife with the MRP though. He will still occasionally get sucked into stupid shenanigans that aren’t looked at by the MRP but end up giving away free kicks and 50m penalties.

Wrestling off the ball with forwards, giving away frees from knocking people over, giving away 50’s from holding up play because he’s suddenly lost all coordination in getting up, etc.

I really don’t think he plays well when he indulges in that type of stuff. Especially when the umpires start paying frees against him. He either withdraws and has a quiet one or he gets frustrated and things escalate.

As I said, his best footy has been when he completely ignores the baiting and he just dominates by playing footy.

My advice to him would be to just focus on playing footy and don’t engage with the opposition on that other stuff. Then let Sam and the club highlight how he’s not being protected by the umpiring after the game. It’s a bit hard for Sam to make a good case when the prevailing footage is of Sicily knocking over and kicking at a smaller player.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

this one was no doubt dumb but using it to label him as a hothead that needs to stop getting suspended is ignoring how completely ridiculous his two suspensions were last year. neither were from him lashing out after being frustrated, they were pretty normal footy plays where he got unfairly treated by the AFL (especially the McLuggage tackle)

the only thing he got done for in 2022 was a fine for ripping off Naughton's headband. which was hilarious and not a suspension

missed 21 with an ACL, no suspension in 2020 until the knee injury

so that's nearly five years without an incident like this. i do not think it's fair for some posters to be using data from over five years ago to suggest our captain is immature and needs to stop getting suspended for doing dumb s**t, especially when he's clearly changed significantly since he tore his ACL.

Sic is the furthest thing from a hot head these days.

He's also not a dirty player, in fact he is actually a pure ball player who backs his judgement/ superior ability to win a contest.

He does indulge in a bit of stirring but usually it's absolutely top notch stuff (Naughton's head band / giving Daniher crap after he kicked that long goal from outside 50).

I really hope the club has gone to the AFL footage with how he was targeted by the Bombers players / dumped on his ass and ask how is that within the rules of the game?

 

[The Spirit of Cricket]

It’s not just acts that get him in strife with the MRP though. He will still occasionally get sucked into stupid shenanigans that aren’t looked at by the MRP but end up giving away free kicks and 50m penalties.

Wrestling off the ball with forwards, giving away frees from knocking people over, giving away 50’s from holding up play because he’s suddenly lost all coordination in getting up, etc.

I really don’t think he plays well when he indulges in that type of stuff. Especially when the umpires start paying frees against him. He either withdraws and has a quiet one or he gets frustrated and things escalate.

As I said, his best footy has been when he completely ignores the baiting and he just dominates by playing footy.

My advice to him would be to just focus on playing footy and don’t engage with the opposition on that other stuff. Then let Sam and the club highlight how he’s not being protected by the umpiring after the game. It’s a bit hard for Sam to make a good case when the prevailing footage is of Sicily knocking over and kicking at a smaller player.

Sorry mate I just don't believe this is true anymore. The number of mental lapses when he gets mad are tiny now compared to pre ACL. this is one example where he lost it but considering the amount he is targeted I think he generally does really well keeping his cool.

 

[tripleh]

First free wasn't there and I don't think the second one was warranted given he didn't initiate it. AFL needs to cut the s**t out and penalise players for taunting - s**t look imo.

I Agree, the worst part is kids watch this and think this is what you are supposed to do when you play footy...