James Sicily – Deck of DT 2025

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Why should I pick him?

Sic Dawg has shown over the past few years that he can score. He averaged 105 in 2023 making him the number 2 defenders (behind N. Daicos), and 96 the year before that (coming off an ACL injury). Sicily is also known for his ceiling, he’s hit scores as high as 165 in 2023, and last year he scored a 113 from only 65% gametime after dislocating his shoulder in the third quarter. Priced at his average of 88, if he can return to his previous form, he could be a great pick at only 8% ownership. Especially with the defence being the line that a lot of coaches are struggling with.

Last year, Sicily only took 42 kick-ins, but he played on from every single one. Karl Amon took most of Hawthorns kick-ins (96), but he was often kicking to Sicily, handing him that cheeky +6, which we can see by Sicily averaging 13.5 points per game from plays that began with kick-ins.

It’s time for the elephant in the room – Hawthorn’s newest recruits, Josh Battle and Tom Barrass (B1 & B2). Alongside their existing key defenders (Frost and Blank) and Scrimshaw playing an intercepting role at times, there is a lot of competition for the limited tall defender roles. This could fall a couple of ways, we could see B1 & B2 free up Sicily to be that third tall defender, where he may rack-up intercept marks and +6’s along the backline. B1 & B2 only took 10 kick-ins between them last year, so they shouldn’t steal too many kick-ins from him. We see plenty of players dominate in this role, e.g. Tom Stewart and Luke Ryan over the last few years. Given the opportunity, Sic Dawg would prosper in a similar role, and could easily return to his previous scoring highs of 2023, fetching astute coaches big scores.

Why shouldn’t I pick him?

However, with B1 & B2’s inclusion and Hawthorn’s lack of experienced key forwards, Sam Mitchell may decide to swing Sicily forward to help lead their young (but strong) forward line. We have already seen he is happy to do this, with Sicily playing forward for portions of last years finals series. If Sicily plays forward, his scoring could go to the dogs. Thankfully we will get a glimpse of him in the opening round this year to assess his role.

On top of all of that, Hawthorn has the early bye this year. To be a good pick, he must score well enough before his bye in round 4 – otherwise, you are stuck with a player who has lost money, scored poorly, and missing a week. Using Game Changer, we can see that he plays Essendon, Carlton, and GWS before his bye. Carlton is rated as Very Hard for defenders, and GWS are rated as Very Hard for defenders and forwards. His tough opening fixture means Sicily will have to be on his paws to impress us.

Using Game Changer’s Price Projector, we can see how his scores will fluctuate depending on his position, the top assumes he plays in defence, and the bottom shows how a sudden swing into the forward line may affect his output, and price growth. This shows just how fast he may lose money if swung into the forward line after round 2. If you download Game Changer here, you can adjust these values yourself and watch his price and breakeven change.

Deck of DT Rating.

JACK

This season, Sic Dawg embodies the unpredictable nature of the JACK. He’s a wildcard who could lead your fantasy team to triumph or leave you chasing your tail. On one hand, his proven ceiling and ability to rack up points from intercept marks and kick-ins make him a tantalising pick, especially in a season where coaches are struggling to choose the right defender. However, with the arrival of new key defenders and the possibility of a forward-line role, his scoring potential could drop faster than a dawg’s tail. Sicily’s early bye and a tough opening fixture further add to the uncertainty. While he has the tools to be a premium defender, his role and performance will need close monitoring in Round 0 to ensure he’s not a ruff investment.

Will

Founder of Game Changer