HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson suspects Jarryd Roughead's season is all but over after rupturing his Achilles in his team's  five-point loss to Geelong at the MCG on Saturday night.

Roughead was stretchered off the ground after accelerating towards a boundary throw-in from a standing start midway through the final term before collapsing to the turf and instantly signaling to the interchange bench.

Clarkson said he wasn't holding out hope for a miracle, with the 24-year old set to undergo scans in the coming days as they uncover the extent of the injury.

"If it's ruptured, which they suspect it is, he will miss the rest of the season," he said after the match

The injury occurred at the 15-minute mark of the fourth term when the Cats were two points in front after they reeled in the Hawks' three-quarter time lead of 17 points.

The goalkicker sat just inside the Cats' attacking 50 and held his left leg off the ground as he waited for the Hawks' medical staff to run out.

He was calm and appeared not to be in agony, but was clearly concerned with the nature of the injury.

Roughead had been in sensational form for the Hawks in recent weeks, taking over the bulk of the ruck duties with Max Bailey, David Hale and Brent Renouf all spending time on the sidelines battling injury.

"It's a disappointing injury for us because he has just been in such good form but we've just got to move on pretty quickly and find a replacement and just keep going," he said.

"We can't sit around and sook for too long."

The injury to Roughead opens up the door for Max Bailey to return to the side after he was a late withdrawal with a corked thigh, while David Hale continues to impress in his recovery from a knee injury with the Hawks VFL affiliate Box Hill.

The season-ending injury is just the latest setback for the Hawks premiership aspirations, with Ben Stratton and Stephen Gilham already out for the season after both sustained serious knee injuries.

"We have three guys now in Gilham, Stratton and Roughead who are all very important players to us that have all gone down with season ending injuries," a frustrated Clarkson said.

But Clarkson remained hopeful that despite the serious injuries to the trio, the side could still push towards premiership glory this season, with the Hawthorn coach making reference to the Port Adelaide premiership side in 2004 in which he served as an assistant coach.

Despite the Power losing inspirational leaders Matthew Primus and Josh Francou to serious knee injuries, the club defied the odds to defeat the all-conquering Brisbane Lions as they claimed their first AFL premiership.

"Every one could've quite easily said they can't win the flag without Primus and Francou. They are two quality players.

"[But] two players stepped into their roles and they won the flag in 2004. It can be done. It will certainly test us but we're certainly not going to give up."