The Buzz: Jarryd Roughead’s story of courage headlines a year of real drama in the AFL in 2017

FROM Jarryd Roughead overcoming cancer to Sam Petrevski-Seton’s unbelievable emergence, this season has seen some incredible stories we rarely find the time to reflect on.

Hawthorn star Jarryd Roughead has twice overcome life-threatening cancer. Picture: Michael Klein

THE sad reality of modern media is that controversy is king.

All Jarryd Roughead did on Friday night was kick a pulsating 55m matchwinning goal.

This is the man who has twice overcome life-threatening cancer. So what did we talk about for four days (and ­counting)?

SCROLL DOWN TO READ MORE AMAZING STORIES FROM 2017 AND VOTE

The difference between “real” and “perceived” pressure after Tiger Jayden Short’s rushed ­behind and low or medium impact for a Zak Jones punch on Hawk Luke Breust.

It’s just life; every TV show needs to generate a headline that goes viral; every radio show is sweating on Melbourne ratings out on Tuesday.

Even Luke Hodge’s tweet about Roughead getting shut out of the SCG pre-match went off with 432 likes and 50 retweets.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t slow down for a second to contemplate the enormity of what he actually achieved on the field.

Almost a year to the day after he revealed four spots of melanoma were found on his lungs, he wasn’t just alive.

He was back strutting his stuff — as captain of the Hawthorn Football Club — taking on this brutal game and shaking it up and down.

It is the best of many inspiring and downright outlandish stories this season.

Not long after he was diagnosed, Roughead visited Ron Walker. Miracle drugs had saved Walker from melanomas in the lungs and kidney, and six spots in his brain.

He could not overstate the remarkable journey from last May to last Friday night for Roughead.

“He came to see me and we sat down and had a little talk and I knew straight away he had the will to win,’’ Walker said.

“It was so brave of him to get back and take that huge responsibility of being Hawthorn captain, but it’s in his make up.

“He has such drive and ambition and energy. He wasn’t going to be defeated when he had a wife and family. He wanted to get well.

“The chemicals you take assist enormously in turning on your immune system, but you have got to want to live.”

Jarryd Roughead celebrating his matchwinning goal against Sydney with teammates Shaun Burgoyne. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Drugs such as keytruda, which force the immune system to fight cancer, have only recently become available on the market.

“It was a death sentence. Only 50 per cent of people survive on any drug at the moment. There is no cure-all for all types of cancer,’’ Walker said.

“And those drugs are very draining but as he has shown there is no point and sitting around moping and saying, “Why me?’.

“You have to get on and live your life.”

So Roughy is tops the podium this year for stories you have to see to believe, but who else has achieved the unlikely or downright improbable.

YEAR OF REAL DRAMA

BREAKING BAD

WESTERN Bulldogs midfielder Mitch Wallis broke both bones in his lower left leg, missed a premiership, didn’t sook, was held back through three VFL games, then peeled off 26 touches and two goals in his AFL return. Less than 10 months later. Remarkable.

Mitch Wallis enjoys last Saturday’s win against St Kilda with Dogs fans. Picture: Mark Stewart

RIDING HIGH

HOLLYWOOD producers would dismiss Sam Petrevski-Seton’s story as too outlandish to believe. A kid from nowhere emerges with a background as a bull rider and cowboy who didn’t speak English until age 14 to be taken by Carlton at pick six last year. He plays Round 1 without a single warm-up game, is starring by Round 7, and wants to sign a long-term deal in the near future.

Sam Petrevski-Seton has come from nowhere to star for the Blues. Picture: George Salpigtidis

CRAIC SHOT

IRISHMAN Mark O’Connor arrives at Geelong as a rookie and makes his AFL debut less than a month after his first official game for the Cats. For context, Jimmy Stynes played a year of under-19s and a year at Prahran before making his senior debut.

DREAM START

SHAI Bolton is taken by Richmond at pick 29 in the draft, with every rival recruiter wondering if he was a flight risk. He has to serve three weeks for a one-week VFL punch because of fixture issues, then kicks a matchwinner on debut that isn’t actually a matchwinner. Then he stands up again in front of a full MCG crowd in the Dreamtime at the ’G to show he might be a draft steal. If that isn’t resilience, what is?

Shai Bolton could be a draft steals. Picture: Getty Images

SLAM DUNK

ADELAIDE’S eight-year chase for Hugh Greenwood survives a US college basketball career and a stint with the NBL’s Perth Wildcats as they finally land him as a rookie. Then he kicks three first-half goals on debut to go with nine tackles as a replacement for highly paid Josh Jenkins.

COMEBACK KID

MICHAEL Hurley spent 2016 furious, believing Essendon had stolen the prime of his football career and unsure if he would get it back. A year on he is representative of the club’s changed fortunes — in All-Australian contention, re-signed on a long-term deal and happy to be back where he belongs. Less than 10 months later. Remarkable.

Originally published as The Buzz: Jarryd Roughead’s story of courage headlines a year of real drama in the AFL in 2017