Hawthorn Captain James Sicily will suit up for his 150th AFL match this Sunday afternoon when the Hawks take on the Crows at Adelaide Oval.
It has been a long journey for the 29-year-old, who is in his eleventh season at the top level.
After being drafted with Pick 56 in the 2013 national draft, the Keilor product had to wait until Round 2 in 2015 to make his AFL debut, starting as the team’s sub for the day.
Another coming-of-age moment followed in 2017 when Sicily shifted from playing as forward to becoming a defender, where he began to flourish.
In 2019, he was rewarded with a spot in the All Australian squad and things were looking up for the Hawks star.
That was until 2020.
Not only did the COVID-19 pandemic force an interrupted season league-wide, but Sicily also suffered an ACL knee injury, sidelining him for the 2021 season.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday morning, Sicily reflected on that rehab journey as a pivotal point of his career.
“I wish it didn’t happen but I’ve definitely learned a lot and gained a lot of resilience out of it,” Sicily said.
“I think you don’t realise how much something means until you get it taken away.
“There were plenty of lessons to learn.”
Fast forward to 2022, and Sicily seamlessly picked up where he left off on the field, piecing together a career-best season to take home his maiden Peter Crimmins Medal.
Only a few months later, he was appointed captain of the club ahead of the 2023 season, leading exceptionally from start to finish during a lean season for the Hawks to earn his first All Australian blazer.
Looking back on his journey to date, Sicily couldn’t quite believe that he would only be reaching his 150th game this weekend.
“It’s my eleventh season and it probably took me a while to crack into the team as a young guy when I had injuries and suspensions and the like,” Sicily said.
“To get to 150 (games), it’s a little achievement but there are bigger and better things to come hopefully and I’ll enjoy a little milestone this week.”
Not only has Sicily had to bounce back from on-field adversity, but also the perception of his character off the field as he matured into the resilient leader he is today.
“Probably the way I was perceived at the start of the year was warranted,” Sicily said.
“I was pretty hot-headed and I probably wasn’t as disciplined or what not.
“But I think as I’ve gotten older and been around some good people at the club and had some good support around me, I’ve been able to grow into a leader of the club which is not something that I anticipated at the start of my career.”
Watch Sicily’s full press conference ahead of his 150th game below.
