HAWTHORN captain James Sicily has been ruled out until after the Hawks’ mid-season bye due to a lingering hip/abdominal issue.

The All-Australian defender won't face the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium on Friday night or Adelaide in Launceston the following week.

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The Hawks are hopeful Sicily will be fit to return against North Melbourne in round 16, after the extra week off with the bye.

Sicily didn't complete the main training session at Waverley Park on Tuesday morning and is understood to have been carrying the injury in recent weeks.

The problem is understood to have been improving in recent weeks, but was re-aggravated against Collingwood last Friday night.

After starting 2025 with four straight wins, Hawthorn has dropped its past three to sit 7-5 ahead of a crunch game against Luke Beveridge's side on Thursday night.

Hawthorn has readymade key defenders at Box Hill in Sam Frost, Jai Serong and James Blanck, who has now played seven games after recovering from a knee reconstruction, although they might elect to go smaller in defence against the Bulldogs.

Sicily has been one of the best key defenders in the AFL since recovering from a knee reconstruction to win his first Peter Crimmins Medal in 2022.

The 30-year-old was named All-Australian in 2023 and has been included in the squad on three other occasions – 2019, 2022 and 2024 – but his form has dropped off this year.

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell and GM Rob McCartney have publicly defended his leadership, along with many behind the scenes at Waverley Park, who believe the star has still been leading well in 2025.

Injured midfielder Will Day has also actively remained involved while on the sidelines, with the 2023 best and fairest winner stepping up in the review meeting after the loss to Collingwood to drive home some points, following a frustrating patch of form by a side that had soared into premiership favouritism early in the year.