Ben Dixon backs Jarryd Roughead to win spot back but Jeff Kennett says there are ‘no guarantees’

Ben Dixon says former teammate Jarryd Roughead has the character and talent to find his way back in Hawthorn’s senior team but president Jeff Kennett said there were “no guarantees in this game”.

Hawthorn has dropped Jarryd Roughhead to the VFL. Picture: AAP

Hawthorn 200-game forward Ben Dixon says former teammate Jarryd Roughead has the character and talent to finish his career in the Hawks’ senior team.

But coach Alastair Clarkson on Friday stopped short of promising that the axed former captain would play again in Hawthorn colours.

The dramatic demotion of the four-time premiership player to Sunday’s Box Hill VFL side — his first VFL game since Round 1, 2012 — comes as the club looks to overhaul its forward line and list.

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The Hawks have nine 30-plus players on their list and last week fielded the oldest side in the league.

Dumping Roughead is a sign Hawthorn is continuing to fast-track forwards Mitch Lewis and Conor Nash.

The club is also in the market for star free agent Stephen Coniglio and potentially GWS forward Jon Patton if he can recover from a third knee reconstruction.

Hawks president Jeff Kennett told the Herald Sun he hoped his good friend Roughead would find a way back into the senior side but there were “no guarantees in this game”.

Dixon backed a Roughead revival: “Roughy’s character is the best I have come across in the game. He never gets rattled, so his mindset would be, ‘I will cop that and I will go back and play my best footy and get back into the team’.

Jarryd Roughead celebrates a goal with Mitchell Lewis. Picture: AAP

Dixon said the decision to drop Roughead would not have been an “ambush” because Clarkson’s greatest strength was his communication.

“Those conversations would have been very open because the way he handles it is full transparency,” he said.

“His communication is next level. He doesn’t make it personal.”

Kennett said Roughead had taken his demotion in the manner the club expected of a former captain and much-loved figure.

“As you would expect with Hawthorn, Roughy is disappointed but as I understand it he has put on a very good front,” Kennett said.

“He continues to be a wonderful servant and has a great record of achievement but as you can imagine with the coaching panel all players are equal and it’s all about form.

“That’s always a judgment call. Hopefully Roughy can come back again before too long and take up his place but there are no guarantees in this game. You have got to earn your spot on merit.

“Everyone goes through this period and as the years clock up it’s harder to compete against younger players but he is an extraordinary person and I hope he can earn his spot back in the side.”

The Hawks have always said they ignore birth certificates when selecting players but they have a list of older players battling form or injury — Shaun Burgoyne is 36, Roughead 32, Paul Puopolo 31, Grant Birchall 31, Tim Mohr 30 and Ryan Schoenmakers 28.