Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson hopes Jarryd Roughead can return from his illness to help the Hawks rise back into premiership contention next year.
The Hawks' quest for a record-equalling fourth straight flag ended on Friday night as they lost an MCG semi-final to the Western Bulldogs by 23 points.
More Sport Videos
- Video duration
- 02:30
AFL plays of the finals: week two
- Video duration
- 01:24
AFL trade period 2016: The trades that matter
- Video duration
- 00:42
Has Nat Fyfe grown?
- Video duration
- 00:32
Wright: Mitchell always heading to West Coast
- Video duration
- 03:39
AFL trade period explained
- Video duration
- 01:35
AFL Women's teams ready to train after first draft
- Video duration
- 02:07
What will happen to Jobe's Brownlow
- Video duration
- 00:00
Cameron McCarthy suits up for Freo
AFL plays of the finals: week two
Bontempelli, Stringer and Co run all over the reigning premiers as Hawthorn go out in straight sets while the Swans avoid that fate as they muscle past Adelaide at the SCG.
Roughead missed the entire 2016 campaign – first due to a knee injury, and then due to a recurrence of his melanoma.
He has been guaranteed a spot on the Hawks' list next year as Hawks look to re-load by adding wantaway Gold Coast midfielder Jaeger O'Meara and out-of-contract pair Tom Mitchell (Sydney) and Ty Vickery (Richmond).
Looking ahead to 2017, Clarkson was optimistic about the Coleman medallist's future.
"Our big No.2 coming back next year might be handy for us," Clarkson said post-match.
Clarkson said Roughead was improving, but was not yet in the clear.
"He's gone through a pretty difficult time in terms of the treatment he's had to have. The drug program that he was on was pretty tough for him because it's obviously trying to kill the impostor in his body," said Clarkson.
"He's had some effects with that, and that's what's made it tough – whether it's to do with his weight or his appetite or the way that he's feeling. But he's had some positive results to some tests over the last four or five weeks that indicate that some of these drugs are doing some good work.
"He's not out of the woods by any stretch, but we've been given some hope that it's tracking in the right direction with him.
"It'd be great if our boys could play with him again next year but, as I said earlier, we'd rather finish 18th just to have his health back again."
Reflecting on the night, Clarkson was disappointed but circumspect.
"It's no good this losing caper. We're not used to it this time of year and it's a good habit to have, winning in September.
"Unfortunately we weren't good enough tonight. The Bulldogs played a fantastic brand of footy."
He was baffled, however, by the fact the Hawks won just three holding the ball free kicks despite laying 104 tackles.
"It's not that the endeavour's not there – it's that the game's changed in terms of interpretation. How can you lay 104 tackles and not even 20 of them be done for holding the ball for incorrect disposal?
"So that's where the game has changed a bit in terms of interpretation, so we'll have to get better in that aspect ... because that is a significant change in terms of how the game's been umpired."
6 comments
New User? Sign up