My captain, your captain
The Hawks have named James Sicily as their new skipper and have announced the 2023 leadership group. We have some thoughts.
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Hawthorn today unveiled a new look leadership group, with James Sicily to take the reins as captain of the football club for 2023.
Sicily will be ably supported by both youth and experience with Dylan Moore and the evergreen Luke Breust named as vice captains, and Sam Frost, Mitch Lewis and Jarman Impey rounding out the leadership group, which will be known as ‘Moorditj Kuda’ comes from the Noongar language and translates as ‘solid’ or ‘excellent’ (Moorditj) and ‘brothers’ or ‘mates’ (Kuda).
The move to install Sicily as captain felt inevitable once previous skipper Ben McEvoy announced his retirement, and in mid-February, ahead of the forthcoming practice matches against Geelong and Collingwood, the decision was made official.
So what do we think?
Daniel Prins
It was the obvious choice to name Sicily as captain, even if it isn’t a foolproof one. Sicily has demonstrated leadership qualities for a number of years and will be confident in his ability to instil the brand of football that Sam Mitchell wants to see, into the young Hawthorn list.
Sicily has a strong personality, he exudes confidence, he takes the game on, and he plays in an aggressive manner, all qualities that will be pivotal in resetting the culture of the football club.
The biggest question mark around Sicily’s leadership is the perception that he suffers from ‘white line fever’. Sicily will need to be careful when and where to demonstrate his aggression, as his words and actions as captain carry more weight than they ever have.
As a quick side note, it’s amazing to see the continued growth of Dylan Moore who has ascended into the role as vice-captain. It is reward for the hard work and effort that Moore has shown to take himself from the last player on the list to one of the first players picked each week.
Simon Morawetz
I'm old enough to remember when Sicily made his debut as a young, hot-headed forward. It was always clear he had ability; the only thing that stood in his way was himself. It was just too easy for opponents to draw him out of the game.
Never in a million years would I have foreseen the journey that has led to him becoming a reliable half-back mature enough to captain this mighty footy club. It's a testament to James himself, as well as the coaches and mentors he's had along the way.
Dylan Moore snagging the vice-captaincy (along with a sizeable boost to his contract) this offseason is one of the great stories in the AFL right now.
The bloke was practically delisted just two years ago. For him to even be on the list, let alone to have become the player he is now, is truly inspiring.
Andrew Weiss
You little beauty!!
The worst kept secret is out, and despite the fact that we have all known deep down that James Sicily would get the nod, it is a relief that the captaincy announcement has finally come and we can move on with things.
I have been spruiking Sic as our next captain in waiting since early in the season in 2022 - and the well documented loss of some of our elder statements had consolidated those thoughts.
Sic will bring passion and desire to the role, as well as the fact that he is one of - if not ‘the’, best player on our list.
We can overlook his ‘brain fades’, ‘hot-headedness’, uber-enthusiasm… fact is he is committed (for at least five years), will finish his career at Hawthorn, and be part of our next flag. A huge tick, and the right guy to lead us moving forward.
The Dylan Moore VC nod continues his huge rise through the ranks at the club, and together with our stalwart ‘Punky’ Bruest will provide ample support for Sis. Great appointments - well considered and deserved.
It’s a great leadership group on the whole with Frosty, Jars and Mitch Lewis rounding it out. Great blend of youth and experience in the group - and a core part of our next flag tilt.
Only point to note is that Blake Hardwick is the stiffest bloke in the competition - I can only assume that he did not want to put his hand up for a leadership role as he would even have been a captain or vic-captain smokey.
But on the balance of it all - very, very happy!
Ashley Browne
James Sicily was the right and only choice to be captain of Hawthorn. But the eye-popping news here is Luke Breust getting the vice-captaincy.
He has been such a reliable player for so long at the footy club, yet leadership groups at Hawthorn have come and gone without him figuring.
This appointment speaks volumes to his loyalty to the club. A bit like Jarryd Roughead, he wanted to be a one-club player, although it must be said, had it been a Victorian-based club rather than GWS that came hard with an offer at the end of 2021, he may have been tempted.
Right now, he is the only 30-something at Hawthorn, but he looks as committed and invested as ever. No mean feat when so many of his mates have finished their careers elsewhere and the best of them, Isaac Smith, won a flag and a Norm Smith Medal five months ago.
For some time, Breust has been the guy who gathers around the boys after training, or on trips away, to tell them some stories about their coach as a player, Hodge, Lewis, Roughy, Lakey, Birchall, Gibson and the other multiple premiership heroes. He even played alongside the great and awesome Bud.
As vice-captain, those stories capture a bit more weight. And they create more expectations about how things should be in the future.
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