Alastair Clarkson wants to use James Sicily as a swingman in 2019

James Sicily could emerge as one of the AFL’s most damaging swingmen after a successful trial for Hawthorn against Brisbane. JON RALPH breaks down Alastair Clarkson’s plan for 2019.

James Sicily might be set for a position change. Picture: Michael Klein

James Sicily could emerge as one of the AFL’s most damaging swingmen after a successful trial for Hawthorn against Brisbane Lions on Sunday.

After Sicily kicked a wayward 2.4 in the pre-season loss, Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson revealed he was keen to trial him further up the ground at times this year.

Sicily was in scintillating form last year until a wrist injury restricted him to only 14 home-and-away games, playing the entire season as a roaming defender.

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But Clarkson has plans to turn him into the type of player Jack Gunston has morphed into — a key position star just as comfortable forward and back.

Sicily, signed at the Hawks until the end of 2020, played his junior career as a forward and kicked 30 goals in 2016 before being pushed back midway through 2017.

The Hawks plan to play Tim O’Brien as a full time defender this year and if Ben Stratton, James Frawley and Kaiden Brand stand up as key backs it allows him to push forward at times.

James Sicily might be set for a position change. Picture: Michael Klein

Clarkson says Sicily’s trial run as a forward in a team missing plenty of stars was more than some pre-season experimentation.

“For the best part of the last 12 months we played him in the back end out of necessity more than anything,” the four-time premiership coach said.

“He is a very, very capable forward. Our goal ultimately is to use he and Gunston as swingmen who can swap from one end to the other depending on what the fortunes of the side are on any given day.

“Last year we tried him forward for one game late against GWS and he had three shots at goal but we haven’t used it on a regular basis.

“(Against Brisbane it) was as chance to use him a bit more up forward and he didn’t bring his kicking boots and had some chances.”

Sicily averaged 101 ranking points, 19 possessions and 6.3 marks as a TAC Cup forward but flourished when pushed back into defence with elite rankings for disposals, metres gained, intercept marks and intercept possessions.

The Hawks will bring back a long list of senior players for their Saturday night clash against Richmond in Launceston.

Jarryd Roughead, Liam Shiels, Ben Stratton, Isaac Smith, Ben McEvoy, Luke Breust and Jaeger O’Meara should all play after the Hawks chose to play a bunch of kids against the Lions.

With a six-day break between JLT games and both clashes interstate, the club preferred to play its best line-up in a practice match against Carlton then the second JLT Series clash.