There may be symmetry for Hawthorn’s Jarryd Roughead, but there won’t be sympathy.
As Roughead returns to AFL action from a snapped Achilles tendon injury on Monday at the MCG against Geelong – the team he was hurt against mid-last year – Hawthorn believe their cautious approach to his return will help him make an impact straight away.
Coach Alastair Clarkson said Roughead would be expected to contribute immediately.
“He’s not in the side to be nursed through – he needs to be able to play,” Clarkson said of the versatile forward-ruckman, who made a brief pre-season appearance in the Hawks’ NAB Cup campaign.
“That’s why we’ve played him at Box Hill (Hawthorn’s reserves) over the last couple of games to get that competitive nature into his game and to withstand the rigours of the game.
“We’ve been pretty cautious and conservative with his re-entry to playing competitive footy, but he’s raring to go now.
“He’s been raring to go for about six weeks. We couldn’t keep him out any longer.”
Clarkson expects Roughead to play “a number of roles” in Monday’s match – though a stint in the ruck where there are different stresses on limb and ligament would appear unlikely first-up.
But action in the forward line as a tall foil to Lance Franklin is guaranteed as the Hawks attempt to address a shocking losing streak against the Cats.
Since the Hawks beat Geelong in the 2008 grand final, the Cats have won all seven encounters.
Clarkson has regularly spoken of how the Hawks have a gap to bridge to challenge the two best teams in the competition – Geelong and Collingwood.
The Hawks laid to rest their Collingwood ghosts with an impressive and hard-fought win to open their season last weekend.
Clarkson said if the Hawks could show the sort of resilience they displayed against the Magpies, they would give themselves every chance of breaking the drought.
“Both those sides have been the best sides in the competition the last three or four years and we’ve sat underneath both those sides,” Clarkson said.
“We showed a resilience against Collingwood last week where were able to challenge, able to fight back and still win which was really pleasing.
“But we know it’s another heavyweight battle tomorrow. At different stages, both sides are going to have control of the match.
“You’ve just got to make sure you hang tough in those periods of time where Geelong have the ascendancy.”
Both sides go into the match without key players.
Star Geelong defender Matthew Scarlett is suspended, robbing the Cats of a proven match-up for Franklin.
The Hawks remain without skipper Luke Hodge, whom Clarkson admits could also miss next week’s clash with Adelaide because of a calf injury.
