JARRYD Roughead didn’t hesitate when Andrew Swallow went down with a season-ending achilles injury in July.

The Hawthorn star had ruptured his own in 2011 and after making a remarkable recovery, he was keen to help.

“I got to my phone after the game and I already had a message from him wishing me well and if I wanted to have a chat with him at all to give him a buzz,” Swallow said.

“It just shows the character of the bloke. To do that before I’d even got back to my phone after the game, it was great.”

That seems to be the thing about Roughead. He has emerged this year as one of the very best players in the AFL — many regard him as the most important player at the Hawks — but there’s a popular belief he’d win the best bloke award, too.

Former Sydney Swan Andrew Dunkley, Roughead’s first senior coach at his home town club Leongatha, put it best.

“Everyone loves him — he’s just a good country kid,” Dunkley said of the Coleman medallist.

Dunkley said the 26-year-old kept in contact with him and took an interest in the adventures of his children, especially his teenage son Josh, a highly-rated junior.

Swallow met Roughead in 2003 when the pair was part of the AIS-AFL Academy.

“He was always good fun to be around,” Swallow said.

“From 16 we sort of knew he was going to be a really good player.

“Swallow tore his achilles tendon in Round 18 against Melbourne. He said Roughead’s insight was invaluable.

“He just talked me through when you can start walking and running and what to expect when you start getting back into it.” Swallow said.

“To see the footy he’s played, especially this year but even last year, has been great for my confidence. Talking to him, he said he hasn’t really had any problems with the achilles since he’s come back, which is great for me.”

It was sometimes simple advice that helped Swallow.

“He did a lot of walking … he just went on a lot of long walks. It’s something I hadn’t even thought about, even though it seems quite obvious,” Swallow said.

Roughead’s All-Australian season has seen him escape the shadow of Hawthorn marquee man Lance Franklin. He’s been excellent — and everywhere.

In Round 13 against West Coast he started as a key forward, kicking the game’s first goal. His second, not long after, was a clever snap before he quickly found himself at the centre bounce as a 193cm ruck-rover.

He tackled, spoiled big man Dean Cox, took big marks, and used his football smarts to knock the ball along the turf to teammate Luke Breust, who goalled. He might not have rucked at all that game, but he does that, too.

He had 20 touches and kicked five goals as the Hawks recorded another win.

Roughead’s rise and rise is remarkable given his career was in jeopardy two years ago when he tore his achilles mid-season.

Champion netballer Sharelle McMahon, who did her achilles just a few months before Roughead went down, became an occasional coffee mate as they fought back together.

“The Hawks have never really been a team that I’ve loved, but because we got to know each other, I love watching him,” McMahon, a Carlton fan, said.

“He certainly had his challenges as he was recovering. When you get your (moon) boot off, you can’t walk.

“Your leg is basically a bone, your muscle really does waste away and for him to rehab and commit to recovering so well and to get himself back into the position he has and for him to be as strong as he is and be playing as well as he is, is amazing.

Peter Francis helped guide Roughead in his junior days as talent manager at TAC Cup side Gippsland Power.

Francis said he thought Roughead had “come back even better”.

“All of a sudden it (the injury) might have been a realisation that ‘Hey, footy can be taken away from me pretty quickly’ and sitting on the sidelines I think he fell in love with the game again a little bit,” Francis said.

“I haven’t spoken to Jarryd about that. This is only my observation.

“He’s no doubt nearly the most important player at Hawthorn now. They really go to him when the game’s on the line.”

He described Roughead as “a great kid”.

“We had a celebration ball last year of our 20 years with Gippsland Power. Jarryd played that day with Hawthorn and still came back that evening to the ball,” Francis said.

“That shows the quality sort of person that he is. He remembers where he comes from.

“He hasn’t changed since he’s left. He might be a star of the game, but it just hasn’t changed him. I think that’s the beauty of him.”

“He hasn’t changed since he’s left. He might be a star of the game, but it just hasn’t changed him. I think that’s the beauty of him.”

The Leongatha home ground is on Roughead St, named after Jarryd’s great-great grandfather George.

The great-great grandson only started playing club footy at 16. Before that, basketball had been his main game.

The plan was for him to play under-16s, coached by dad Michael.

Senior Parrots coach Dunkley put a stop to that, plucking him to play seniors.

“I spoke to his parents about it and I said I’d look after him,” Dunkley said.

“About six or eight weeks into the season he got a broken collar bone. I took a fair bit of responsibility for that, but I thought that made his career.

“It toughened him up, he understood what injuries were all about. He missed a bit but he came back later in the year and did quite well.”

Dunkley remembers a very naturally talented footballer.

“He knew where the footy was. He didn’t have any fear, he just went and got the footy. I only saw him train for a few weeks and you could tell he was ripe for senior footy,” he said.

“He just went with the flow and I don’t think he’s changed at all either. He’s just a genuine person.”

Roughead still loves basketball.

Word on the street is he enjoys shooting hoops with Collingwood vice-captain Scott Pendlebury on the odd evening during the footy season. The pair hail from Gippsland.

He’s also good mates with Australian basketball stars Patty Mills and Joe Ingles.

Ask Roughead’s dad about his son’s eclectic group of friends and he laughs: “Jarryd Roughead, I don’t know, he talks to anyone.”

Roughead’s collection of NBA singlets, reported to number more than 40, is apparently colour coded in his wardrobe and his dog Melo is named after New York Knick Carmelo Anthony.

Michael did end up coaching Roughead during his comeback from the collarbone injury. He put him in the back pocket.

“I said to him, ‘If you want the ball, you’re going to have to run’,” Michael said.

“Halfway through the first quarter he’d kicked a goal.”

Roughead showed enough in his senior footy and in one game for Gippsland Power to be chosen for Vic Country for the under-16 national championships in 2003.

After starring at centre-half forward for the Power in 2004 he was taken at pick No.2 in the national draft.

He adores Hawthorn, signing a new deal this year that ties him to the club until the end of 2016 — making him a 12-year player.

But in 2004 he thought he was on his way to Richmond, which had pick No.4.

He knew Brett Deledio, who was slated to go at No.1 to the Tigers, so he was happy to join him at Punt Rd. Richmond president Clinton Casey already pencilled in a meet and greet at his place after the lottery.

He was shocked to be chosen by the Hawks, who had kept their interest quiet.

But he has since formed a special bond with his fellow Hawks draftees from 2004, Franklin (No.5) and Jordan Lewis (No.7).

Lewis this month told the Herald Sun he was probably more nervous than his teammate as he watched Travis Cloke trying to kick his way past Roughead in the Coleman Medal race, falling two short on 66.

“For Rough to come back and improve his game out of sight this year is amazing after an achilles injury that could have ruled out a power athlete,” Lewis said.

“He is one of the most unselfish players in the comp. Anyone who has come into contact with him reckons he’s a great bloke.”

For dad Michael, all of Roughead’s achievements make him proud.

“I just sit quietly and smile at the television and think, that’s my boy.”

This article originally appeared in the Herald Sun