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Hawthorn have locked in defender James Sicily until the end of the 2022 season and say they see him as a future leader of the AFL club.

Defender James Sicily will be a Hawk until at least the end of the 2022 AFL season after extending his contract.

Though aged just 24, Sicily is emerging as one of the future leaders of Hawthorn, according to football manager Graham Wright.

"Sis is such an important player for us," Wright said in a statement on Friday.

"We know he's got plenty of passion on field, and he's learning to channel that into getting the best out of himself and his teammates.

"He can play on talls or smalls at either end of the ground, so he certainly adds versatility to our line up.

"We're looking forward to watching his continued development as both a player and a leader."

Sicily started his AFL career as a forward but has had the most impact as a defender after switching positions late in 2017.

This season he was one of the competition's most reliable rebounding defenders, ranking fourth for intercept possessions and ninth for rebound 50s.

He was rewarded with his first nomination in the extended All-Australian squad and also finished fourth in the club's best and fairest award.

The backman's re-signing is the latest in a big week of contract extensions for the Hawks, with Mitchell Lewis and Jarman Impey signing on until the end of 2022 and 2023 respectively.