Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy says Sydney ruckman Tom Hickey is rivalling Port Adelaide defender Aliir Aliir as the recruit of the year.
Hickey joined the Swans – his fourth AFL club – from West Coast last trade period in a deal that saw multiple draft picks exchanged.
Sydney’s rise up the ladder has been partly due to Hickey’s influence with the 30-year-old averaging 16.2 disposals, six clearances and 23 hit-outs per match.
Hickey made a swift recovery from a PCL injury to star in Sydney’s thrilling two-point win over Geelong collecting 20 disposals, 10 clearances, 23 hit-outs and a goal.
“Tom Hickey has been regarded as a good recruit – he’s much more than that,” Healy told Sportsday.
“He is, in my view, the equal of Aliir Aliir as recruit of the year, and he may well go past Aliir Aliir.
“Because without him, they’re not winning half the games that they’ve won.”
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Sydney veteran Josh Kennedy praised Hickey’s resilience after that knee injury was expected to sideline him for up to six weeks.
“He’s incredibly important,” Kennedy told SEN Breakfast.
“His impact on the weekend … it was a huge effort for him to even be out there, really.
“To play the way he did and compete … he just does some things at critical moments which can turn momentum for us.
“He’s been a real catalyst for our turnaround this year, there’s no doubt about that.”
In his 11th AFL season, Hickey has played 108 career games following previous stints at Gold Coast, St Kilda and West Coast.
