HAWTHORN'S Jarryd Roughead has told of the moment he knew his 2011 season was over.

The big key forward/ruckman said he felt a pain as if he'd been kicked in the calf against Geelong on Saturday night and immediately thought he had ruptured his Achilles.
 
Doctors confirmed Roughead's self-diagnosis a short time later, and the 24 year-old had surgery to repair the ruptured tendon on Wednesday morning.
 
"I just heard a pop, and I thought I saw [Cats opponent] James Kelly behind me and I turned around to say, 'why’d you kick me?' But no-one was there," Roughead told The Footy Show on Thursday night.
 
"And I'd heard the story before that it feels like you've been kicked in the back of the calf and as soon as I knew no-one was there, I knew what had happened and basically just fell to the ground and asked for the stretcher."
 
Achilles ruptures have been rare in the AFL.
 
Melbourne forward Russell Robertson is the most recent to suffer the injury, in round 10, 2008 at age 29.
 
He returned in round six of the 2009 season, but struggled to regain his pre-injury form and retired at the end of that year.
 
But Roughead said Robertson's struggles, and those of Collingwood’s Anthony Rocca, who snapped his Achilles in 2005 aged 27, didn't dull his hopes of making a successful comeback.
 
"I'm 24 and those guys, no disrespect to them, they were a bit older than I am," Roughead said.
 
The former No.2 NAB AFL Draft pick revealed he had received an email from Robertson with advice to assist his recovery.
 
Roughead will spend the next six weeks in a boot to completely immobilise the repaired tendon.
 
He said he would take his time recovering to ensure he is at full health when he returns.
 
"I'm not going to rush it in any way," Roughead said.
 
"I want to get it right and have no problems with it again.
 
"So if that's six to nine to 12 months, then that's what it will take."

Mark Macgugan writes for hawthornfc.com.au and covers Hawthorn news for afl.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @mmacgugan.