The potential trade that has Hawks captain excited

Hawthorn captain James Sicily is pleased with the Hawks’ re-emergence as a destination club

HAWTHORN captain James Sicily is excited by the prospect of being joined in a beefed-up defensive unit by West Coast intercept specialist Tom Barrass next season.

Eagles vice-captain Barrass made his desire to be traded official on Tuesday, nominating the Hawks as his preferred destination.

It came despite 28-year-old Barrass having three years to run on his contract.

Hawthorn has also been strongly linked to St Kilda defender Josh Battle after missing out last year on free agent Ben McKay, who left North Melbourne for Essendon.

Barrass has played 150 games for the Eagles and starred in their 2018 premiership.

Sicily insisted there is plenty to play out during the Trade Period, but he has been buoyed by the Hawks’ re-emergence as a destination club

“I’m pretty excited by that prospect,” Sicily said on Wednesday.

“There’s a lot of water to go under the bridge still, but that’s exciting that players are seeing Hawthorn as somewhere they want to be.

“That’s a good feeling.”

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell ramped up his pursuit of Barrass in July when he met with his former Eagles teammate in Perth.

Sicily has an existing relationship with Battle and could be used by the Hawks to the sell the dream to the prospective recruit.

“‘Mitch’ and ‘Macca’ (list boss Mark McKenzie) and ‘Roughie’ (player acquisition manager Jarryd Roughead) do an excellent job in that department,” Sicily said.

“If they need me to chime in in the future then I’ll be open to it, but I’ll just let them do their job.

“I have quite a few mutual friends with Josh Battle, so (we talk) about other things.

“I’m good friends with Bradley Hill and so is he, so we see a bit of each other.”