Hawthorn have diminished injury concerns around defender James Sicily after the star Hawk appeared to suffer an ankle injury in Wednesday's intra-club practice match.
Sicily headed off the ground in the third term after appearing to roll his ankle, not appearing again as the Hawks chose to take a precautionary approach with their reigning best and fairest winner.
Despite watching most of the second half from the sidelines, Hawthorn don't seem to be concerned about the injury.
Speaking on SEN Mornings on Thursday, Hawks assistant coach Adrian Hickmott said that the 28-year-old will be "fine", calling the ankle injury minor.
“He'll be fine,” Hickmott said.
“It was really, really minor.
Both James Sicily and James Blanck look done for the day. Suspect foot/ankle issues for both but nothing major @zerohanger
— Mitchell Keating (@MitchKeat) February 15, 2023
“We had some players we had to manage too, we were really aware that it's a long season.
“To manage players and take them out on minutes was to get them through the next few weeks really.
“We play Geelong down there and then Collingwood in Tassie (in practice games).”
Sicily is expected to be named Hawthorn's skipper for the 2023 in the coming weeks, having served as a stand-in captain for parts of the 2022 season. The 28-year-old has played 115 games for the club since his debut in 2015, including 22 in a stellar 2022 season.
Hawthorn's season will begin on March 19 against Essendon at the MCG, with unofficial pre-season matches against Geelong and Collingwood to be held on February 23 and March 2, respectively.
