Should we take the punt on James Sicily in SuperCoach?

HE WAS transformed into an intercept defender late last year and turned heads with a pair of gold boots in AFLX. Can James Sicily walk the walk in SuperCoach this year?

CLARKO has done it again.

The master coach thrust James Sicily, a talented but inconsistent forward, into defence from Round 14 last season with great effect.

To Round 12 last season, Sicily’s best Supercoach score was 77 and he had averaged 53.1 points per game.

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From Round 14 onwards, Sicily posted five hundreds in 10 games, averaged 91.4 and transformed himself into a quality backman with SuperCoach-friendly skills, highlighted by his intercept marking.

At $402,800, Sicily needs to be strongly considered, especially with a def-fwd swing.

Here’s some of the reasons for and against picking Sicily this year to assist your decision:

WHY WE SHOULD PICK HIM

SICILY’S defensive switch resulted in the best Supercoach streak of his career. He took 10 or more marks in six of his last 10 games in 2017. He went from averaging 12.3 possessions a game to Round 12 to 24.1 disposals a game from Round 14. Compelling numbers.

THE Hawthorn defender has a high ceiling. In Round 20 last year against Richmond, he showcased his potential to hit the heights with 29 disposals, 10 marks and 130 points.

ALL signs are Sicily has arrived as an AFL player. Sicily played 19 games last season to take his career tally to 44 matches and entrenched himself in the Hawthorn team.

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VERSATILITY. Choose Sicily as a forward and pick a defensive rookie such as Connor Ballenden ($117,300) or Lachlan Keeffe ($123,900) and you have a ready-made replacement should a defender be injured. Alternatively, you could trade a defender, swing Sicily to defence and trade in a forward.

POINT of difference. Similar-priced players such as Charlie Curnow ($408,100), Christian Petracca ($433,300) and Devon Smith ($439,100) have attracted much more attention in the off-season than Sicily.

SICILY is on an upward curve. He improved his SuperCoach output by about 10 points per game last season from 63.6 in 2016 to 73.3.

James Sicily at Hawthorn’s training camp in New Zealand.

WHY WE SHOULDN’T PICK HIM

IS 10 games enough to trust he can be a reliable Supercoach scorer and cement himself in defence? Sicily’s average as a forward did not scream “pick me”.

WILL the Hawks throw the magnets around and swing Sicily back into attack? Suggestions in pre-season have been Jack Gunston will be deployed as a forward, but can we trust Sicily plays the full campaign as a defender?

HIS price is awkward. For less than $100,000 more you can start with a proven scorer such as Luke Dahlhaus ($498,500). At Sicily’s price, you would be investing in him being your third or fourth defender or forward.

GRANT Birchall and Ben Stratton, who play similar roles, played only a combined 13 matches last season. What will their likely returns from long lay-offs mean for Sicily’s importance to the Hawks’ back six?

FREE kicks against will cost you points and Sicily is prone to giving them away. In Round 22 last year he was pinged seven times against Carlton and recorded a score of 25 as a result.

THE difference between his best and worst was evident, even in the second half of 2017. He posted a 46 and a 25 in his last seven matches. Can he produce the consistency SuperCoaches crave?

THE VERDICT
GILBERT GARDINER: Lot’s to like but want to see more of him in the JLT.

AL PATON: The ability to pick him in defence or forward line (and swing between the two) is a big plus. One of a number of mid-pricers in the mix for my second or third forward spot.