Hawthorn forward Jarryd Roughead says there’s two ways of looking at the club’s overflowing injury list.
And a staunch Roughead is opting for the glass half-full approach.
Tom Mitchell, Liam Shiels, Shaun Burgoyne, James Frawley and Ben Stratton were among the Hawks sidelined in Round 5, but Roughead believes the opportunities these absences create are invaluable.
“You could look at it as though it affects our depth, but it’s also giving these guys a chance,” Roughead said on Tuesday.
“You’ve got Worpel, Cousins and O’Meara – none of them have played 100 games yet and they’re carrying the bulk of our midfield load.
“It might be a bit of short-term pain for long-term gain in terms of the benefit we’re going to see with these blokes in the years to come.”
In a similar vein, Roughead does not underrate the role he has to play in fast-tracking some of the young Hawthorn forwards.
The Hawks brought young key forward Mitch Lewis into the side for his third senior game on Monday, while Irishman Conor Nash has featured in each of the Hawks’ opening five games.
“It’s huge,” the four-time premiership player said of his mentoring role with these youngsters.
“Because in a couple of years, I’m probably not here.
“The more I can help out Nashy and Mitch Lewis in the forward line by playing with them, it’s only going to benefit them because it’s not dissimilar when Johnny Barker and Nick Holland were around when I first got here.”
