The day before his January 30 wedding, the Hawks medical staff met with the four-time premiership forward and they decided he should have an operation on his right knee.

Tuesday’s posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction will sideline Roughead for up to five months, putting a massive dent in Hawthorn’s campaign for a fourth-straight flag.

Roughead said yesterday that he hurt the knee last season, but went on the International Rules trip to Ireland and then did training over Christmas without any trouble.

“For some reason, I don’t know what, the knee started to flare up just after Christmas when we got back,” he told Gold 104.3 Radio.

“I had a scan and we thought we’d wait for two weeks, just to see how it goes… but unfortunately, it didn’t get any better.”

Roughead said that once he met with Hawthorn’s medical staff it was a no-brainer that he should undergo the reconstruction, rather than a short-term cleanup of the joint.

“A couple of years ago, when I did an Achilles, it’s probably better knowing you’re missing the front half of the year rather than the second half,” he said.

“Especially after the last few years and what we’ve been able to do, you want to be making sure you’re there for the pointy end of the season.”

Roughead also admitted he would not handle the time off well.

“I will be like a nuffy fan, I would say,” he said.

“It will test the relationship [with wife Sarah].”

Meanwhile, Roughead said he was stunned earlier this month when club president Andrew Newbold announced his immediate resignation.

Andrew Garvey will be interim president until the end of the season.

“I was away, but when I heard the news I was very shocked,” Roughead said.

“I thought Andrew would stay around this year and finish off his term.”

-AAP