“My shoulder last year, then dealing with the groin – but it’s in a good spot now. It doesn’t hinder me on game day.”
Sicily revealed the soreness meant he had struggled to kick the ball long and accurately, which has typically been one of the hallmarks of his game.
“Anything that was powerful moments, or when my hips were really open, it would hurt. I had to manage that and get on the short kicks and not kick as long,” Sicily said.
“It’s in a spot now where I am fully confident of my kicking and have my power back.”
Without that confidence, Sicily was a shadow of the player who won All-Australian selection in 2023.
“When you are down on confidence, it feels like you have dial-up internet in your head, can’t think, can’t process things, so, hopefully, I hit a couple of nice kicks on Saturday,” Sicily said.
Sicily said he will not require post-season surgery, with rest to hopefully allow the injury to fully heal.
The versatile tall hopes that off-season break doesn’t happen until next month, with the Hawks determined to enjoy a breakthrough win at Engie Stadium, having lost all eight of their games at the Giants’ home base. They last played there in 2023.
“We feel as though we have played in big games that hold us in good stead for this week,” Sicily said.
“It will be good to finally break the hoodoo at Engie – we haven’t won there. Surely, we are due, but they are obviously a great team. They play so well out of their back half, they have so much talent there.”
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Dynamic half-back Josh Weddle impressed in his return from injury through the VFL on Saturday, and trained on Monday. Sicily said Weddle was doing all he could to force a senior return.
“He had a lot of opportunities to do some Weddle things [on Saturday]. Obviously, he is in our best 22 when he is healthy and fit. It’s up to ‘Mitch’ [coach Sam Mitchell] to squeeze him in now. Hopefully, he does play. We love what he brings to the team,” Sicily said.
Despite losing to fellow finalists Fremantle, Adelaide and Brisbane on the road over the past two months, Sicily said the Hawks were ready to build on last year’s finals campaign, when they were eliminated in a semi-final by Port Adelaide.
