Universal Love James Sicily

Disagree. Clarko has played him purely down back a number of games, and some where he played everywhere on the ground including time back, wing and forward. For mine I thought he did ok.
That'll hurt those goals per game average too....;)

I also think he's a great relieving mark out of the back line kick offs, where his superior foot skills have allowed him to spot others further up the field or just switch play.

His numbers have gone down slowly over the second half of the year, but apart from a few games I feel he has still impacted the contest and games enough where you feel he has contributed. His flashes for mine are worth an entire game's worth of ho hum of JOR's for example.

But I like the kid, so I'm more glass half full on the guy that some others on here.
Yes he has played outside the forward line at times this year. Not so much the last few games though. Burton has been playing that backline role and has been playing it very well.

I'm excited to see how he'll improve next year but for now I'd have Burton in ahead of him. But I don't pick the team so will have faith in the coaches to pick the right players.
 

tige19

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The criticism of Sicily is bizarre, especially in a week where he was a big draw card at the nab rising star. Anyone who watched would have seen the air-time and pump up fox and the AFL gave the kid. Some around here don't rate him? Crazy, there's plenty outside that do.

Exceptional talent, a forward in his first year as a senior footballer, taking the 2nd tall defender for the majority and then being thrown around in a football education when not playing deep. And to think he has managed to kick 35 odd (including finals) goals and won a few games of his own boot and been clutch many times, yep makes sense to criticise the kid.
 

Great 2008

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Yup.
How would describe our ball movement the last two months....?
Do we often rip it out of the center bounce first and get it going to his advantage, or move it swiftly through a chain of disposals so that a team mate can run forward of center and actually hit him up or put it to advantage.

Or do we plonk plonk plonk along and boot it high on top of our forwards heads or over the back for Cyril/Poppy to run on to?

We've done Sic and Gunners zero favours second half of the season as far as how a forward would like to get their opportunities.

Most succinct appraisal of our recent game style I have seen for a while. Very frustrating. Teams are shutting down our quick ball movement or we chip around ad nauseam which leaves all the work to our crumbing smalls and undersized forwards in Gunston and Sic (more often than not an intercept mark) when we get it forward.

I do not know how to fix it.

Very concerned about Friday night.
 

StillAtLarge

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The criticism of Sicily is bizarre, especially in a week where he was a big draw card at the nab rising star. Anyone who watched would have seen the air-time and pump up fox and the AFL gave the kid. Some around here don't rate him? Crazy, there's plenty outside that do.

Exceptional talent, a forward in his first year as a senior footballer, taking the 2nd tall defender for the majority and then being thrown around in a football education when not playing deep. And to think he has managed to kick 35 odd (including finals) goals and won a few games of his own boot and been clutch many times, yep makes sense to criticise the kid.
I don't think those of us who've been critical of Sicily have ever questioned his talent or progress this season. He's still learning the game and has shown a lot of composure at crucial moments.
However, it's hard to dispute that his last 5 or so weeks have been very poor and some of us have debated whether a wet & windy night will see him surplus to requirements. Like it or not, his big trick is taking one grab marks when getting a decent jump at the footy. Defensive pressure doesn't seem to be his forte and a lack of it has the potential to hurt us tomorrow if, as we suspect, the ball spends a lot of time on the deck.
I'm not a Sicily basher: If this game was at docklands he'd be one of the first blokes picked but it'll be horses for courses re: selection and I think the match committee will debate long and hard over just how much influence he's likely to have in the slop.
 

tige19

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I don't think those of us who've been critical of Sicily have ever questioned his talent or progress this season. He's still learning the game and has shown a lot of composure at crucial moments.
However, it's hard to dispute that his last 5 or so weeks have been very poor and some of us have debated whether a wet & windy night will see him surplus to requirements. Like it or not, his big trick is taking one grab marks when getting a decent jump at the footy. Defensive pressure doesn't seem to be his forte and a lack of it has the potential to hurt us tomorrow if, as we suspect, the ball spends a lot of time on the deck.
I'm not a Sicily basher: If this game was at docklands he'd be one of the first blokes picked but it'll be horses for courses re: selection and I think the match committee will debate long and hard over just how much influence he's likely to have in the slop.

I've debunked the myth he doesn't apply pressure defensively. Check the Collingwood game, he was 4th on the ground for defensive pressure acts. Every game he plays his defensive pressure acts are in the top tier of our side. It's a myth
 

flinchfree

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I've debunked the myth he doesn't apply pressure defensively. Check the Collingwood game, he was 4th on the ground for defensive pressure acts. Every game he plays his defensive pressure acts are in the top tier of our side. It's a myth


Agree. He does two things that read badly to a supporters eye and some become stuck on it.
Firstly, he doesn't plant his feet to redirect and drive into tackles, so his momentum makes him flail his arms in an attempt to grab an oppo player.
Secondly, when he's zoning in defense and doesn't think he can make a pressure act to affect the play, he'll kind of jog to a zone position and watch what happens next. He rarely closes hard to man the mark or even just to see if the opposition with ball in hand will pause with indecision - thus allowing him if he absolutely sprinted to perhaps cause a turnover.

I'm not quite sure why he does the first, it's more poor coaching for mine than the kids desire or effort, while the second is probably a belief he can preserve some petrol tickets.
Would like him to spend what he's got while on the field and force the coach to get him off while he recovers, than canter around at times.

Other than that I think the call that he's one trick are just silly.
He has as many tricks as most on the team as I've pointed out earlier in my post, and has helped us out all over the field with his marking, defensive acts, kicking (which is su-weeeeet), running to support, running to create an overlap, kicking goals and making goals.
For a 1st year kid, he's a gem.
 

tige19

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Agree. He does two things that read badly to a supporters eye and some become stuck on it.
Firstly, he doesn't plant his feet to redirect and drive into tackles, so his momentum makes him flail his arms in an attempt to grab an oppo player.
Secondly, when he's zoning in defense and doesn't think he can make a pressure act to affect the play, he'll kind of jog to a zone position and watch what happens next. He rarely closes hard to man the mark or even just to see if the opposition with ball in hand will pause with indecision - thus allowing him if he absolutely sprinted to perhaps cause a turnover.

I'm not quite sure why he does the first, it's more poor coaching for mine than the kids desire or effort, while the second is probably a belief he can preserve some petrol tickets.
Would like him to spend what he's got while on the field and force the coach to get him off while he recovers, than canter around at times.

Other than that I think the call that he's one trick are just silly.
He has as many tricks as most on the team as I've pointed out earlier in my post, and has helped us out all over the field with his marking, defensive acts, kicking (which is su-weeeeet), running to support, running to create an overlap, kicking goals and making goals.
For a 1st year kid, he's a gem.

The myth of failed defensive pressure has a lot to do with his laconic running style and strutt, he looks like he is doing things easy but in fact he is working very hard.

Anyone hear his interview at the rising star? The kid is passionate about Hawthorn, he wants to play his role the best he can and he wants to be a hawk legend. Speaks with maturity, confidence and a calm tone. I actually believe he is a special talent, such a diverse player to have in our side, he creates a defensive match up nightmare just being out there.
 

StillAtLarge

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I've debunked the myth he doesn't apply pressure defensively. Check the Collingwood game, he was 4th on the ground for defensive pressure acts. Every game he plays his defensive pressure acts are in the top tier of our side. It's a myth
I guess we'll agree to disagree. I was at the pies game and I lost count of how many times the pies players waltzed around him with contempt. And there was the incident on the half forward flank where he assumed the ball would trickle out and his opponent picked the ball up unopposed and took off.
Having said all this I would never want him (or any hawks player for that matter) to perform poorly just to validate my opinion. If Sicily plays tomorrow I'll be cheering just as hard for him as the rest of them and will be hoping to eat my words...
 

tige19

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I guess we'll agree to disagree. I was at the pies game and I lost count of how many times the pies players waltzed around him with contempt. And there was the incident on the half forward flank where he assumed the ball would trickle out and his opponent picked the ball up unopposed and took off.
Having said all this I would never want him (or any hawks player for that matter) to perform poorly just to validate my opinion. If Sicily plays tomorrow I'll be cheering just as hard for him as the rest of them and will be hoping to eat my words...

There was a few moments he looked laconic but no more than how Jordan Lewis looks the whole game. I really suggest looking at his defensive stats, out of 44 players on the field he had 16 defensive acts that day, it was 4th out of both sides. So either you're picking and choosing to single out things you see about him because you don't rate him as a player and/or you legitimately think he is lazy (which is baffling and contrary to the facts).
 

GerryLewis

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Was he really crook? Heard some odd comments on SEN today in regards to Sicily. There's talk floating around that he was dropped? Anyone heard anything similar?
 
Does he have an underlying bowel condition?
Sounds like a job for CAPTAIN COLONOSCOPY....
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Mrzohs

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sicily is a must.. yes he doesent get alot of the ball and sometimes looks lazy but no different to any young fwd. especially when he getting the number 1 deep defender at times when gunston play high half forward. if the bloke was getting the 3rd best defender he would tear it apart.
he needs to play especially with inability to bring the ball to ground or take a mark with our resting hopelss ruckmen all yr ave less than 1 mark a game
and lack of key fwd.

burton a gun and alot cleaner but siciliy is a must. they should teach him to lead up and mark has great set of hands. play them both howe was such a strange decision., and ffs play hartung to
 
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Sicily is a prospect but at the moment he's a real one trick pony, even if that one trick is pretty decent.
Certainly not a one trick pony. Nick Holland was a one trick pony, good pair of hands but that's about it. Sicily has many tricks to his bow. And for a bloke playing in what amounts to his first full season, has been a revelation.
Posters on here can be waaay to critical at times.
 
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