STAR forward Jarryd Roughead has all but sealed his playing career at Hawthorn by signing a two-year contract extension.
Roughead has committed to the Hawks until the end of 2018, extending his current deal, which was signed in 2013, by two years.
The much-loved Hawk has turned his back on free agency, where he would have qualified as an unrestricted free agent in 2016 – instead opting to commit to the club with which he has won three premierships.
By the time this new contract expires Roughead will be 31 – all but confirming he will be a Hawk for life.
“It’s safe to say that at 31, when this deal does expire, it might be hard for free agency,” Roughead told hawthornfc.com.au
“To be able to lock it away now and say that I’m here until the end of 2018 when I’m 31 is a very good thing for myself and hopefully for the footy club as well.
“It was a good chance for me to get it out of the way now and not have to worry when I turn 28 that I’m a free agent and all the publicity that comes with it."
Since being drafted to the Hawks with the second overall selection in the 2004 National Draft, Hawthorn has continued to become a special place for Roughead.
That feeling is reflected in the way he speaks about the Club he has now been part of for 10 years and by the end of this new deal, will have been a member of for 14 seasons.
It comes as no shock then, that despite still having two years to run on his current deal, the versatile big man was keen to secure his future.
Playing football for Hawthorn isn’t just a way to pay the bills, for Roughead it’s a way of life.
“There are about six of us left from when I first started so to see the bonds and mate ship form over the 10 years has been once thing that you look forward to every day when you come here,” he said.
“To be able to muck around with blokes and seeing the smiles on the faces as you walk in rather that it just be a burden I suppose. It’s more of a lifestyle than a job.
“You come here every day and enjoy the fact you’re around mates and winning flags, which also helps.”
Jarryd Roughead celebrates the 2014 premiership with teammates Jack Gunston, Ben Stratton and Luke Breust.
Roughead hopes to do more winning too, in his next four years with the Hawks despite having already been part of the 2008, 2013 and 2014 premiership-winning teams.
With the addition of free agent recruit James Frawley and highly-rated midfielder Jonathan O’Rourke plus the motivation provided by returning players Brendan Whitecross and Jed Anderson from long-term injuries, Roughead hopes they will add another dimension to Hawthorn’s premiership-winning 22.
He says the drive those players have provided so far this pre-season is synonymous of that given by Ben McEvoy who joined from St Kilda for 2014 and the return from injury of Matthew Suckling and Ryan Schoenmakers.
“You see the want of Frawley and O’Rourke to win a flag – you saw how much it meant to McEvoy this year and I suppose that, as a group, just fires us up even more,” Roughead said.
“We know what it’s like and for them to pick your club and want to be successful, you want to make sure that they make the most of it and we do too when the chance is there.
“It’s similar to 2014 where we had ‘Suckers’ (Suckling) and ‘Schoey’ (Schoenmakers) coming off injuries but it’s these guys this time.”
Currently away on pre-season camp in Mooloolaba, Roughead says there is no sign yet the Hawks are slowing down.
Already skipper Luke Hodge and premiership stars McEvoy, Sam Mitchell, Grant Birchall and David Hale have been identified as players leading the charge to 2015.
But Roughead says it has been the attitude of the entire group towards training that has been impressive.
“A lot of people could say we would take the foot off the pedal in terms of training,” he said.
“(But) we’ve got the right attitude at the moment in how we go about training and the standards we set are very, very good.
“This is just what we need before Christmas. To come back the way we have and perform the way we are so early, it’s a very good sign.”
And Roughead hopes to raise his level in 2015 too, despite in the last two seasons having been named All Australian twice, won a Coleman Medal and won two premierships.
“It’s just that want to keep getting better,” he said.
“You’re not satisfied yet because you’ve still got four years to go and you’d like to think you’re in the prime of your career now.
