Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell admits he couldn't bring himself to watch James Sicily put the finishing touches on a tough win over Sydney in the AFL season opener.
It's no surprise, given the Hawks' skipper had minutes earlier given off a goal to a teammate with a risky handpass at the top of the square in driving rain, which almost came unstuck.
So when Sicily received a free-kick with less than five minutes left and lined up to take a shot on his non-preferred foot, Mitchell turned away.
"I wasn't sure about the left-foot snap. I've never seen him do one of those, I couldn't watch it," Mitchell said after his side's 14.12 (96) to 11.10 (76) win.
"He put it straight through, they told me, so I was happy with that."
Hawthorn had pushed the "Sicily button" at three-quarter time, sending their most dangerous and versatile weapon forward as they clung to a five-point lead.
It proved a winning gambit as Sicily provided a constant threat during a three-goals-to-none final term that gave the Hawks a perfect start to the season.
James Worpel's ankle injury just before halftime had forced a shuffling of the deck, with Josh Weddle shifted forward when substitute Sam Frost took up a spot in defence.
Sicily had been brilliant in defence in the first half before Sydney gave Will Hayward a defensive role on the Hawks' skipper during the third term.
"Sicily was getting sat on by that point," Mitchell said of the three-quarter time decision.
"When he goes forward he generally has a bit of an impact and that was the call that was made by the coaches, so I thought they handled that situation.
"But I wouldn't say we have a premeditated policy on Sicily. We sort of just pick the team that will win the moment."
Mabior Chol served as the Hawks' main tall target in attack against Sydney, with Mitch Lewis (knee) and Calsher Dear (back) both out injured.
Mitchell is eager to add another tall to his forward mix and doesn't always want to call on Sicily.
But the arrival of high-profile defensive recruits Tom Barrass and Josh Battle has given him greater opportunity to do so.
Both made strong starts to life at their new club against the Swans.
"I thought Battle just looked comfortable ... he played like he's been playing with us for a long time," Mitchell said.
"And big TB won a lot of key contests. Even the ones he lost were really tough ones to win.
"I thought he got better and better as the game went on. Late he looked a bit tired and then he just found a way to take a couple of intercept marks that were really important.
"It was a pretty good first game in the brown and gold for those boys."
