Hawthorn captain Jarryd Roughead questioned his leadership during Hawks early-season struggles

IN HIS first season as captain and with powerhouse Hawthorn winless after the first month, new skipper Jarryd Roughead questioned his leadership qualities but is now thriving in the role.

Jarryd Roughead is in his first season as Hawthorn skipper. Picture: Getty

HAWTHORN captain Jarryd Roughead has revealed he questioned his leadership during the Hawks’ early-season struggles but is now thriving with Alastair Clarkson’s rejuvenated group.

The Hawks slumped to 0-4 after the opening month of the season, woes that shocked the football world as the powerhouse club didn’t register a victory until its Round 5 win over West Coast at the MCG.

Alastair Clarkson’s side was 1-6 after Round 7 when St Kilda travelled to Launceston and defeated Hawthorn at its Tasmania fortress.

The Hawks were heavily criticised and their era declared over in Roughead’s first season as captain after taking over from Luke Hodge.

Sydney skipper Josh Kennedy revealed this week the Swans’ 0-6 start made him question his leadership ability and when asked whether Hawthorn’s poor form dented his own confidence in the role, Roughead said: “Yeah for sure.

Jarryd Roughead is in his first season as Hawthorn skipper. Picture: Getty

“You’re thrown into this position and with both clubs’ history over the last five or six years, both have been arguably two of the three most successful clubs in the past 10 years.

“So when you get promoted to a new role and you start one and 11 between the two sides, you actually start to probably think is it your fault?

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“But through an understanding what’s going on at the footy club and a bit of an acceptance that there has been changes and it’s not just going to happen straight away and you have to work through it your way.

“Both of us now are doing a pretty good job. It’s always challenging but to say at the end of your career that you’ve been captain of Hawthorn or captain of Sydney Swans, it’s not bad to have on your CV.”

The Hawks kept their faint finals hopes alive on Friday night with its upset six-point win over Sydney at the MCG, their eighth of the season.

Hawthorn’s early struggled seem like a lifetime ago given their current form. Picture: Michael Klein

Clarkson has been lauded for rebuilding his team on the run and Hawthorn’s form is up with the best sides after defeating premiership favourites Adelaide, drawing with GWS, defeating the in-form team of the competition in Sydney and losing narrowly to Geelong.

But while the Hawks could still play finals, September isn’t on Roughead’s mind.

“Our method and our system at the moment is stacking up against the sides that are going to be competing for the flag this year,” Roughead told 3AW.

“I don’t think so (aiming for finals). If you look at how we’ve attacked the second half of the year, being able to play that same way and building consistency in effort within a game for these kids is what we need to be doing.

“Because if we get a full run at it next year there’s so much blue sky at the moment that you never know what could happen.”