He may be coming off a career-best season, but James Sicily hungry for further improvement in 2019.
Alongside his Brownlow Medallist teammate Tom Mitchell, Sicily made an early return to the training track on Monday morning, despite the pair not being required back at training for another two weeks.
Both joined in the first session with the 1-4 year players, as they look to return to peak fitness after a well-deserved off season.
“I just got back from the States and thought I’d come and have a run around with the boys and meet a couple of the new boys and coaches,” Sicily said.
“It was good fun.”
Sicily emerged as one of the competition’s premier intercept defenders in 2018. His ball-use out of the back half was also exceptional with the 23-year-old the only player to average over 23 possessions and over 80 per cent disposal efficiency league-wide.
But the defender is striving more this pre-season.
“I’m just trying to get stronger, fitter and be betterm,” he said.
“That’s the whole idea of pre-season is to get better.
“I want to get closer with the backline group, so hopefully we can have another good, strong season next year.”
Part of that development will likely be prompted by the return of 329-game superstar Sam Mitchell into the Hawthorn coaching panel.
“It’s good to have him back, he keeps the place a bit younger,” Sicily joked.
“All the other coaches are a bit old and don’t have too many jokes up their sleeve, so it’s good to have Mitch lighting the energy up around here and introducing some new things to us.”
