Rising Hawk James Sicily is set to take his game to the next level this season, with triple-premiership wingman Isaac Smith declaring that he could ‘tear games apart’.

Speaking on RSN’s The Breakfast Club ahead of Hawthorn’s opening-round clash with Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday night, Smith said Sicily’s elite kick and marking ability had him primed to terrorise opposition teams.

 “’Sis’ I think has the ability to tear games apart,” Smith said.

“Anyone who can mark the ball the way he does…they talk about blokes being able to put their head in the hole and win contested footy but when you’re marking it like that….he can pretty much do whatever he wants and he’s got a kick on him that can go 75 metres as well.”

Sicily experienced a career-best season last year after a host of injuries to some of the Hawks’ key defensive personnel saw him shifted to the backline.

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The 23-year-old flourished, averaging more than 24 disposals and nine marks in the final 10 games of the season, and is set to be a weapon off the halfback line for the Hawks this season.

“He’s a pretty special talent and hopefully he can pair up well with [Ben Stratton] and Ryan Burton as well on the half back flank and I reckon they can be pretty damaging those three,” Smith said.

Meanwhile Smith also said he hoped teammate Cyril Rioli would be given the green light to face the Pies on Saturday night after a delayed start to his preseason.

“I guess the biggest concern with Cyril is his hamstrings so he’s training well, he’s got a lot of energy, he’s buzzing around and he looks as good as her ever has,” Smith said.

“But whether he’s got the amount of conditioning in his hamstrings and the coaches and fitness staff are happy to let him go then we’ll just wait and see.”