Hawthorn is somehow still in the finals race, but a $950k-a-year move for a free agent could make them a true contender in 2025 - and it’d help the team he’s leaving too. Plus Geelong’s ultimate draft bargain with picks one expert said they “won’t use”, the Scott brothers unlocking Collingwood’s downfall and big Blue questions emerge. The big issues from Round 18 of the 2024 AFL season analysed in A match-winning magnet move by Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell may have emphasised the importance of pursuing a free-agent Saint this off-season.
On Saturday afternoon in Launceston, Mitchell shifted skipper James Sicily forward of the ball against Fremantle in a move that paid delicious dividends. Sicily, returning from a shoulder injury, by his own admission wasn’t playing at his best as an intercept defender at UTAS Stadium — and with Mitch Lewis out of the side again, the Hawks needed all the scoring power they could muster against the stingy Dockers. Hawthorn’s captain snagged three goals and took five marks, adding 13 disposals at 85 per cent efficiency as the Hawks claimed a 13-point win to validate their finals bid.
Sicily booted his first major in the third quarter before his second put the Hawks in front. His third — after taking a brilliant goal-line grab — instilled an unassailable eight-point lead. The 29-year-old, of course, was initially drafted as a goalkicker before making a career-blossoming move to defence.
“I wasn’t doing much down back, I.
