James Sicily has revealed it was not till per week after he was introduced as Hawthorn captain – whereas surrounded by followers – that he realised the gravity of the honour.
Sicily was touted because the Hawks’ subsequent skipper the second Ben McEvoy retired final 12 months, but it surely was the membership’s annual household day when all of it sunk in that he was becoming a member of the likes of Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell, Leigh Matthews, Michael Tuck and Graham Arthur.
James Sicily is relishing the possibility to be Hawthorn captain.Credit score:Getty Photos
“I really feel very privileged, at the beginning, however I in all probability didn’t perceive the burden of it till we had household day, and we had an enormous turnout at Waverley,” the 28-year-old instructed The Age.
“All of the followers had been very congratulatory, and I felt actually supported by them, in order that was a really cool expertise [but it was also] slightly bit daunting.
“We had numerous ex-players there who had unbelievable careers, so, in that sense, I nonetheless really feel a bit like an impostor for the time being, however I’m simply making an attempt to be myself and never anybody else.”
Sicily’s transformation from proficient however erratic ahead and someday hothead into an All-Australian-calibre defender and now captain is effectively documented, however he’ll wait till his profession ends to replicate on his unlikely journey.
“I can perceive the intrigue about it; how I’ve gone from after I began to now. I really feel like that’s simply part of getting higher and studying and making errors and all these types of issues,” he mentioned. “I haven’t actually mirrored on it but. Little question I’m going to – more than likely after I’m performed within the recreation, and might look again and assume, ‘Effectively, fairly cool turn-around’ however, for the time being, I really feel like I’ve obtained a job to do, and I need to do it effectively.”
Being a first-year captain is hard sufficient with out factoring within the dearth of expertise at Hawthorn after the departures, for numerous causes, of McEvoy, Jaeger O’Meara, Tom Mitchell, Jack Gunston, Liam Shiels, Kyle Hartigan and Tom Phillips.
Sicily, Jarman Impey, Sam Frost, Karl Amon, Blake Hardwick, Chad Wingard, Luke Breust and recruit Fergus Greene are the one Hawks who will begin the season aged at the least 25 years outdated.
