HAWTHORN vice-captain Jarryd Roughead is expected to miss the first half of the 2016 season due to a PCL reconstruction.



The four-time premiership player had been able to manage the injury previously, but experts have now advised the Hawks that surgery would be the best option.



GM – Football Operations Chris Fagan said it was disappointing news for Roughead.



“We found out this morning that Jarryd requires a PCL reconstruction, which means that he’s not going to be available to play until somewhere in the middle of the season,” Fagan said.



“That’s a fair stint out – somewhere between four to five months.



“He’s actually had a PCL injury for a long time, but in the past if it’s got a little bit sore he just has a day off and it clears up and he continues to train and play.



“He didn’t miss any games with it last year, he had a perfect pre-season up until Christmas time, and for some unknown reason the knee’s got sore just lately, and not recovering when we’ve given him a rest.



“We needed to seek expert advice, and that’s the opinion we received this morning.”



The 29-year-old is expected to undergo surgery in the next couple of weeks, with Fagan confident the key forward can bounce back and have a big impact in the second half of the season.



“Rough’s had a few challenges in the last little while - this is just another one,” he said.



“He’ll take that in his stride, and as he said to me the other day, he’ll be really fresh in the second half of the year and can’t wait for that to come around.”



While Roughead’s absence will undoubtedly be a blow for the Hawks, it could present an exciting opportunity for a number of young forwards.



Fagan said the door was open for some young Hawks to impress.



“It does give some opportunities for some of our younger forwards like James Sicily and Tim O’Brien to step up, so we’re really looking forward to seeing how those guys go, knowing that we’ve got Rough coming back on-board mid-season,” he said.