Following his decision to step down as captain for the upcoming season, Jarryd Roughead will be working toward a renaissance of form in the upcoming campaign. During the 2018 season, the four time premiership Hawk decreased his output in disposals, marks, tackles and goals. The drop in goal output was significant, having not produced a lower per game return since his second season. Roughead has missed just twice since returning from melanoma treatment two years ago. Now well beyond the 30 year mark, the likelihood is that Roughy will continue to decline in performance. The brown and gold were openly interested in Tom J. Lynch, a sign that a replacement is seen as necessary by the coaching staff. After 275 senior appearances, the Hawthorn champion will be required to lead a forward group that is short on tall depth. A stalwart of fantasy sides for much of the last decade, he is unlikely to warrant selection this time round.
Roughie's smooth decline
Following his decision to step down as captain for the upcoming season, Jarryd Roughead will be working toward a renaissance of form in the upcoming campaign. During the 2018 season, the four time premiership Hawk decreased his output in disposals, marks, tackles and goals. The drop in goal output was significant, having not produced a lower per game return since his second season. Roughead has missed just twice since returning from melanoma treatment two years ago. Now well beyond the 30 year mark, the likelihood is that Roughy will continue to decline in performance. The brown and gold were openly interested in Tom J. Lynch, a sign that a replacement is seen as necessary by the coaching staff. After 275 senior appearances, the Hawthorn champion will be required to lead a forward group that is short on tall depth. A stalwart of fantasy sides for much of the last decade, he is unlikely to warrant selection this time round.
Captain Courageous
Remarkably, Jarryd Roughead returned to the fold after battling cancer in 2016 to play the entirety of last season’s campaign, booting 38.21 to lead the club goalkicking. The 2013 Coleman Medal winner particularly excelled late, capped off by five goals in round 23, though his ratio degraded from 11:8 to 9:9 which is unusually handball-heavy for a nominal CHF. Low-level knee swelling prompted surgery in December, although he was lifting weights a week later. Excluding the year off to fight the melanoma, Roughead has displayed tremendous durability in missing no more than two matches per season since 2012. He should get Jack Gunston back beside him in 2018 and natural progression from Tim O'Brien to help with forward structure, plus an improving midfield if Jaeger O'Meara stands up. He is a reasonable selection as a second or third forward in the middle rounds.
