It was a night of high tension for James Sicily, but the top Western Jets prospect found an attractive landing spot in the AFL national draft.
Sicily was the Jets’ only live selection on draft night when his name was called out by reigning premiers Hawthorn with pick 56.
A quiet night of business for the Jets on the face of it, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find a senior list elevation of Kyle Hartigan at the Adelaide Crows and a rookie spot granted to Johnny Rayner, both graduates of the Jets’ program.
“It’s a good result for us,” Jets region manager Shane Sexton told the Weekly. “We’re very happy to be on the board, as it were.
“We were hopeful for some of the other kids, but there’s a big rookie draft coming up so hopefully we can add to that.”
Sicily was being talked up in the lead-in to the draft because of a range of factors.
For starters, his talent was identified early in the season when he represented Vic Metro at the national championships.
His form with the Jets in the TAC Cup never waned. A top-three finish in the best-and-fairest reflected his consistency over 16 games, including 26 goals and being named among his side’s best nine times.
The Keilor product held down a number of positions both forward and in the midfield, and his role in the team was interchangeable, depending on what coach Torin Baker needed on the day.
Sicily, one of the driving forces of the Jets’ run to the finals, also had a bit of an X-factor that recruiters are looking for to differentiate the best from the rest.
“There’s real awareness in his footy,” Sexton said. “He reads the game exceptionally well and has a real capacity to find time and space. He’s a bit of a genius at getting to the right spot.”
Sicily capped a brilliant season with excellent speed results at pre-draft testing.
The Melton resident ranked fourth in the 20-metre sprint with a blistering time of 2.84 seconds.
“The draft camp is what would have sealed it for a lot of people who would’ve been interested,” Sexton said.
The biggest question mark over Sicily is perhaps what attracted the Hawks to surrender a draft pick for him. What is his best position?
Comfortable in the centre, on the wing or as a lead-up forward, he’s a genuine utility.
Sexton believes this versatility could be his main asset in going up a grade.
“If I was going to give him any advice, I’d certainly be suggesting he continue with the capacity to play in a number of roles,” he said.
“If you’ve got that artillery to do a variety of different things, it’s going to make you a more useable commodity.”
The last chance saloon, for this year at least, will come in the form of tomorrow’s rookie draft for players who missed out on selection in the national draft.
Jake Greiser, Brett Bewley and David Iaccarino are regarded as the top chances out of the Jets, but don’t discount interest in Harley Armstrong-Weston, Lachlan Hickey and Jason Robinson.
