Ben Stratton and Hawthorn leaders to ask coaches to give Jarryd Roughead a farewell game

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson won’t guarantee a farewell game for Jarryd Roughead but he might have no choice, captain Ben Stratton has revealed. When will we see Roughy again?

Ben Stratton wants to play with Jarryd Roughead one last time. Picture: Michael Klein

Pencil August 18 in the calendar, Hawks fans.

Your season is over as far as finals are concerned and a game against the Gold Coast Suns at Marvel Stadium in the Sunday twilight timeslot is hardly a blockbuster.

However, it is likely to be the last chance to see from the stands — and celebrate — at least one, if not three or four, multiple premiership players in the brown and gold.

Hawthorn chief executive Justin Reeves said last month, “I don’t think you would ever pick someone specifically just for a farewell game”.

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But the situation is different now with any September hopes dashed and Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson has conceded there will be discussions around such a game for former captain Jarryd Roughead.

With away matches against Greater Western Sydney next week and West Coast in Round 23, the Suns’ clash in Round 22 is the only option.

Hawthorn captain Ben Stratton has declared he wants the opportunity to play with his three-time premiership teammate again.

“He came back I think a month ago he played in the ones and I was injured and I was spewing,” Stratton said on SEN.

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Ben Stratton and Jarryd Roughead celebrate the 2014 Grand Final win. Picture: Michael Klein

“I’d definitely like to play with him one more time.”

Clarkson has been reluctant to guarantee his four-time premiership champion a farewell game.

That could mean Stratton and the leadership group, which includes Roughead’s premiership teammates Jack Gunston, Liam Shiels, Isaac Smith and Ben McEvoy, intervene.

When asked whether he would specifically ask Clarkson and the coaches to give Roughead a farewell game, Stratton said: “That’s something we’ll have to have a chat to them about. I’d say that would probably be the direction we’d go.

“There’s blokes there that have played 10-plus years — working with anyone for 10-plus years is a long time and you become really close with guys.

“I’d dare say that we could go down that track but that’s a chat with the coaches and the fitness staff.”

The problem is Roughead has not played at any level the past two weeks and has featured in just one AFL game since Round 8.

However, he has been named to return for Box Hill against North Melbourne at Arden Street.

“We’ll work it out,” Clarkson said on Friday night after the loss to North Melbourne.

“It depends on his (Roughead’s) form at Box Hill and how he’s playing and his body. He’s a bit banged up. He’s had a big career and we’ll just see how it all goes over the next two or three weeks. We’ll sit down and make a decision as a club and Roughy will be part of that.”

Roughead, 32, has played eight games at VFL level this year and is averaging 14.8 disposals, along with kicking nine goals.

Roughead celebrates a goal during his last game at senior level. Picture: Phil Hillyard

If his body is up for it, not giving Roughead a farewell game against the Suns would, quite frankly, seem a little rough.

The four-time premiership player might not be the only veteran waving goodbye to fans in Round 22, either.

Fellow four-time premiership player Shaun Burgoyne and three-time premiership player Paul Puopolo also remain without contracts for next year.

Burgoyne is performing well enough to play on somewhere — if not at the Hawks — but Puopolo, who turns 32 in December, has dropped off this year.

The small forward has lifted his tackling numbers and pressure acts on his 2018 numbers but has gone goalless in 13 of his 19 games.

Then there is four-time premiership defender Grant Birchall, who suffered a hamstring injury on Friday night and, at 31, is also out of contract.

Unfortunately, there might be no farewell game for him.