HAWTHORN expect to regain star forward Cyril Rioli for the clash against Brisbane in Tasmania in Round 14.
Rioli hasn’t played since Round 5, when he suffered a hamstring injury in the final term of the 3-point victory over North Melbourne.
The Hawks expected Rioli to miss between six and eight weeks when he suffered the injury, given his history with hamstring injuries.
If he does return for the Round 14 clash against the Lions, it would place the number of weeks on the sidelines at eight weeks exactly.
The Hawks star will ramp up his training on Thursday, when he participates in skills training for the first time since Round 5.
Head of Coaching and Development, Chris Fagan says Rioli’s rehabilitation has been smooth and the Club is looking forward to regaining its star in two to three weeks.
“He’s on schedule - we’re very pleased with the way he’s going,” he said.
“From our perspective, he’s ticked every box and he’s about to join in ball work again tomorrow and that means he’s pretty close to playing again.
“We expect he’ll probably be available for the game against Brisbane in a couple of weeks.”
Meanwhile, forward Jack Gunston is available for selection after missing the Round 10 win over Melbourne.
Gunston sat out the win over the Demons with a calf injury, but has recovered and participated in full training this week and is ready to take on the Blues on Friday night.
“Jack’s good, he’s trained fully the last few sessions, there have been no hiccups there,” Fagan said.
“It was a minor calf injury and that’s the way it’s proven to be.
“He’s ready to go.”
