Now HERE’S some absolutely wonderful news coming straight at you from the weird, weird world of the AFL.
Hawthorn Football Club spearhead Jarryd Roughead has officially received the medical all-clear following treatment for melanoma, with his Doctors now permitting him to return to full-workload training with the club.
Roughead had already given Hawks, and football fans in general, something to smile about by running on to the training track with his Hawks teammates yesterday. But today’s revelation that he’ll be a much more regular fixture once again is the kind of feel-good story we could certainly all use.
Roughy, easily one of the most universally beloved and respected footballers in the AFL, began immunotherapy treatment for melanoma back in June, after it was discovered that he had a recurrence of the cancer in May. Roughead had initially had a mole from his lip removed in July of 2015, but routine checks with club medical staff revealed the illness had reappeared in his lungs.
Roughead’s course of immunotherapy treatment at the Peter Mac Centre in Melbourne was initially predicted to keep him out of any serious footballing action for as many as 12 months. But today’s revelation of the all-clear comes some six months ahead of that schedule.
Roughy spoke to Hawthorn’s website earlier today, detailing what the all-clear from the Doctor means for him moving forward:
“I’ve had a complete response from the treatment so far. We had another PET scan two weeks ago and they’re going to have to be every three months [from now on].”
“I was lucky enough to get the results yesterday. Trained in the morning, and had the doctor’s appointment late afternoon yesterday.”
“Grant and the team at Peter Mac gave me the news that I’ve had a complete response from the treatment so far. He’s given me the all clear to get back into living normal life and getting back to doing things I want, which is playing footy and living my life.”
Roughead was reluctant to put a timeframe on any potential return to AFL football – he hasn’t played a game since the 2015 AFL Grand Final due to an off-season PCL injury in early 2016, which he rehabbed while concurrently undergoing cancer treatment – and for quite obvious reasons the club is likely to be cautious.
But a fit, healthy, and potentially cancer-free Jarryd Roughead? That’s bloody great for football.
Onya, Roughy! You absolute champion.
Photo: Quinn Rooney/Getty.
