With Ben Stratton retiring, Hawthorn is now in the process of deciding their next captain.
Nick Dal Santo believes the right man for the job is James Sicily, despite the defender tearing his ACL in Round 12 of 2020.
The former St Kilda star believes his absence from the field in 2021 should not impact the decision to make him the captain.
“I know that’s a little bit unusual (given his injury), but I think if it’s a long-term play, if it was anyone else I’d see it as more like a gap filler,” Dal Santo told SEN Breakfast.
“(Liam Shiels), gap filler, doesn’t mean he’s not a great leader, doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be a superb captain.
“If it is Sicily as the long-term option, then Shiels can do it for the next 12 months until Sicily is back.
“I know Sicily has the ups and the downs, but I love that about him. You’ve got to take the good with the bad with him.
“I’d back (Sicily) in. I think he would be better with the leadership and the captaincy next to his name.”
Dal Santo hopes Hawthorn’s key forward duo of Jonathon Patton and Mitchell Lewis get a clean run at it in 2021 and a chance to develop some chemistry.
“That duo needs to be significant and be their focal point, not only for this year, but going on,” he said.
“Mitch Lewis has shown enough signs, has all the physical attributes, as does Jonathon Patton, but they need to be able to work together.
“Throw in Jack Gunston and a couple of smalls around them, Luke Breust is still going around.
“It may not click at the smart, it might take a while, but you’d love to see by the end of the year those two guys are working in tandem together.
“I still think there’s a really good opportunity for those two to work and develop together.”