HAWTHORN has re-signed young forward Ryan Burton until the end of 2018.

Burton, who was the Hawks’ first selection in last year’s NAB AFL Draft at pick 19, was contracted until the end of 2017 but has signed a one-year extension.

“We drafted Ryan knowing he had an in injury that would need time to overcome,” Hawthorn’s recruiting and list manager Graham Wright said.

“We’ve been really happy with his progress so far and think he will be a really good player for us in the future.

After missing the entirety of 2014 with a badly broken leg, the 19-year-old has returned to action for Box Hill Hawks in recent weeks.

He has played in both of the Box Hill Hawks’ VFL victories – against Sandringham and Williamstown – spending time in attack and defence.

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Wright said the contract extension was a sign of the club’s commitment to the North Adelaide product, who will have an operation on his leg later this week.

“He needs to have an operation to take out the plate and screws from his 2014 injury,” Wright said. 

“We wanted to take away any anxiety that he may have had, and show him that we think he’ll be a really important player for us long-term.”