HAWTHORN is "very hopeful" Cyril Rioli will return to the club this season, but coach Alastair Clarkson stressed there was no pressure on him come back any time soon.
Rioli has taken personal leave to return to Darwin to spend time with family, the second time the club has given him a period of extended leave in the last 12 months.
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"I'm not sure whether it's going to be one week, one month, one year - we don't know," Clarkson said on Friday morning.
"I haven't spoken to him personally. All he needs to know is that he's got the support of the footy club and that support is mainly been around giving him the time and space he needs to deal with.
"We'll allow him to have that space. Graham Wright, our footy manager, (has) been in regular contact with him and over that time they'll make a judgment together and what the future looks like in terms of returning to the club."
The Hawks take on Adelaide at the MCG on Saturday night.
