'It?s extremely serious'2:18
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AFL: Hawk star Jordan Lewis explains the seriousness of Jarryd Roughead?s condition, after his best mate revealed to him his cancer had returned.
HAWTHORN will attempt to become the greatest team of the modern era without Jarryd Roughead, who will not play again this year.
The club’s coaches and players were rocked on Tuesday by the return of a melanoma that has spread into his body.
Having proclaimed himself a fast healer, Roughead was to return from a PCL reconstruction as early as next week.
Instead there is a realisation that his cancer battle might overtake his football career given the significant fight ahead.
MARK ROBINSON: ROUGHEAD’S BATTLE TRANSCENDS FOOTY
The Herald Sun understands Roughead has told family and friends the melanoma has returned in an internal organ rather than his lip.
Roughead is contracted until 2018 but there is a possibility doctors might encourage him to devote his entire fight to his serious health battle.
Hawthorn teammate and friend Jordan Lewis said the news had taken a heavy toll on Roughead.
“When he first got his scare with his lip it was sort of an unknown and probably didn’t know how to react but certainly the news he got yesterday has shaken him up,” Lewis said.
“Probably in his head, he thought he was over it because he had a scan six months ago and nothing showed up.
“It’s very serious. It’s extremely serious.
“It’s going to be a tough road for him but we’re all there for him.”
He was looking forward to being back and playing the game he loves and that’s been taken away from him for a little while.
Jordan Lewis
Last year he missed only a fortnight after a melanoma was cut out of his lip, but a new threat was diagnosed during regular check-ups and body scans.
Hawthorn is optimistic he caught the recurrence as early as possible, having undergone as many as three check-ups since being given the all-clear.
Lewis said the whole club would support Roughead and his family.
“As soon as he got out of that (meeting) and understand what was going on, he called me,” Lewis said.
“He called me and he sort of just broke down and asked me to come back (to the club).
“It hit him hard. We sat in our player development officers’ office and had a bit of a cry. No words were really needed.
“You do (feel helpless) but what you’ve got to understand is the help he’s getting is extremely good.
“He was really looking forward to coming back, he’s a resilient guy and put in a lot of hard work.
“He was looking forward to being back and playing the game he loves and that’s been taken away from him for a little while.”
The 29-year-old was the unsung hero of Hawthorn’s last two finals series, kicking 13 goals in 2014 and averaging 22 possessions and nearly two goals in last year’s finals.
Now instead of holding the fort until Roughead’s return from a PCL reconstruction the Hawks will rely upon goals from nine-gamer Tim O’Brien and 11-gamer James Sicily.
Probably in his head, he thought he was over it because he had a scan six months ago and nothing showed up.
Jordan Lewis
That pair will join the fleet of dynamic small forwards and Jack Gunston to haul Hawthorn to a fourth consecutive premiership.
Four-time premiership star Roughead saw his oncologist on Tuesday after receiving the initial diagnosis on Monday. Three months of treatment that could include radiotherapy is likely to start immediately.
Exactly 40 years after the brave cancer fight of beloved Hawthorn star Peter Crimmins, the entire football community will rally around Roughead.
Hawthorn head of football Chris Fagan said Hawthorn had been through an array of setbacks in recent years and would again support Roughead.
“The players are now aware of the situation and one of the great things about this club is we are a very resilient group of people,’’ he said.
“We will get behind him and support him. Footy is our business but we care here more about the people we work with than the football.
“We will get around Roughy and look after him and his family and we will keep our fingers crossed for a great outcome down the track.”
In recent years Hawthorn has endured the loss of assistant coach Brett Ratten’s son Cooper, a serious illness to coach Alastair Clarkson, the departure of Lance Franklin and repeated serious injuries to key players.
But it has continued to bounce back to win premierships, with then-president Andrew Newbold saying after last year’s win the adversity had steeled the group.
“I am incredibly proud of our people and incredibly proud of the resilience of this club in the face of a lot of adversity,’’ he said.
“It’s when we seem to be at our best and I don’t know what it is, it must just be the make-up of the individuals that make up the whole group.
“All of us perform better in adversity ... we have found out a lot about how groups operate to form a really strong bond as opposed to individuals standing out.”
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge, a former Hawthorn assistant, spoke of his affection for Roughead.
“Roughy’ is a close friend of mine and it’s a bit distressing,” he said.
“I don’t know the detail about it but I did see the headline.
“He’s got enormous support around him; I hope he’ll be fine. I’m sure he will (get through this OK).”