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Find your frequency here"Weddle over Sicily": Why the Hawks should prioritise their young star
Jaiden Sciberras • June 6th, 2025 6:45 pm
Hawthorn has bounced back from their disastrous three-week blunder, putting the Western Bulldogs to the sword in a powerful 22-point victory on Thursday night.
After what was a damning week within the walls of the club, the Hawks rose to the occasion despite a number of top players ruled out of the contest.
In the absence of captain James Sicily, electric young defender Josh Weddle stood tall, delivering an elite performance to help hold the free-scoring Dogs to just 59 points – their lowest tally this season.
Weddle has been shifted into multiple positions across the course of the year, playing out stints in the forward line and around the ground in attempt to utilise his run and carry.
Spending the entire contest behind the ball last night, the 21-year-old managed 18 disposals at 94 per cent efficiency, eight intercepts, six marks, a goal and over 500 metres gained to nail one of his best performances of the season.
With his top tier game in mind, the SEN Fireball co-hosts David King and Kane Cornes believe that Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell should take this as a sign to put a halt on frequent role changes, nailing down Weddle’s role as a permanent defender.
King: “Weddle, seriously, what he does do is so powerful and so aggressive.
“When you’re a player on the field and you see someone take the risks he takes, and when they pay off, it’s like ‘we’re on here’.”
Cornes: “Are you better off to settle the lineup down?
“Weddle has played back, he’s played wing, he’s played ruck, and he’s played forward. It just looked better with a smaller backline last night, and him permanently there.
“It looked better with Blake Hardwick permanently there. I think the point comes where you go ‘let’s just settle the lineup’.
“Clearly, break glass in case of emergency, if you’re chasing a lead, you’re four goals down late in the last quarter, chuck Weddle forward I understand that.
“On the whole, I just think he will be better, when Sicily comes back, find a position, settle him there and just be more settled with the lineup like you did last night.
“(Jarman) Impey’s the one that goes forward, that’s okay. He’s probably more dispensable, but your key pillars, settle them down.
“It looked safer last night.”
King also believes that despite Sicily’s impeccable career down back thus far, the Hawks should prioritise the use of Weddle in the defensive half, suggesting that the club captain - who can play forward - is far less dependable in the defensive 50.
“They have got to prioritise Weddle over Sicily,” King said.
“That sounds silly, we would not have had that conversation at the start of the year.
“I still think there is so much scope for Sicily to play other roles. He started as a forward; he’s a powerful player but at the moment he’s a bit banged up.”
Following their strong win, the Hawks will remain within the top eight at the conclusion of the round, with the Crows to come in Round 14 before their scheduled mid-season bye.
