HAWTHORN has announced that they have signed a new deal with yet another star player not named Lance Franklin, after revealing this morning that Jarryd Roughead has agreed to a two year contract extension.
With one year still remaining on his current contract, the new deal will see the Hawks forward remain with the club at least to the end of the 2016 season.
says Roughead is an important leader and player for the Hawks.
“We’re wrapped that Jarryd has committed himself to Hawthorn for a further two years,” said Hawthorn’s Recruiting and List Manager Graham Wright.
“Jarryd wasn’t out of contract until the end of 2014 so adding two years takes him to 2016 which would be 12 years at Hawthorn.
“His diligence to rehab from a serious achilles injury last year was rewarded with a fantastic on-field return, at 26 years of age he’s an important leader of our football club.”
Roughead, 26, was the number 2 overall pick of the 2004 National Draft and selected by the Hawks out of the Gippsland Power in the TAC Cup competition. He has played 166 games for the club so far and kicked 310 goals.
“Any time you get to extend your footy career, it’s always a good feeling and now I suppose I can say I’ll be a one club player,” said Roughead via an interview on hawthornfc.com.au
“Hawthorn have been very good to me, I came here when I was a 17 year old and when this deal is up I’ll be 29 – 12 or 13 years goes pretty quickly.
“For them to show faith in me, it was pretty much a no brainer (to sign).
“When I’m 29 turning 30 I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere else.”
Along with Lance Franklin, Jordan Lewis, Brad Sewell and Grant Birchall, Roughead was awarded Life Membership with Hawthorn at last year’s Annual General Meeting.
“You understand with Free Agency these days that AFL footy is starting to turn a bit like a business,” he said.
“We’re probably going to be the last generation of people that are going to be playing at one club with the amount of movement going around.
“The five of us last year got Life Membership, which was something pretty special and now to say a lot of us are going to be playing together for the next five or so years, it’s going to be good fun.”
Here is the interview that the club has released in conjuction with the announcement of Roughead’s contract extension:
Image courtesy of and with permission by Pete O. All rights reserved.