HAWTHORN defender Stephen Gilham has been named to make his return from a serious knee injury with Box Hill on Thursday night.

The 27-year-old missed the final two-thirds of the 2011 season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament against St Kilda in round eight.

He has been back in full training for some time, but will have his first test in a full-scale match.

Hawks general manager of football Mark Evans said Gilham had completed a "copybook" rehabilitation from the injury, but would be managed carefully in his comeback.

"He'll probably play half to three-quarters of the game," Evans said.

"You have to treat it like they're at the start of their pre-season campaign in relation to competitive footy.

"So it's like being at the start of the NAB Cup for Stephen Gilham.

"Most of our guys early on, because we had the triangular format, played at least a half in the first couple of weeks of the NAB Cup, so that's about where he's at.

"He'll steadily progress up to playing a full game and then make himself available [for senior selection] from there."    

Box Hill, Hawthorn's VFL affiliate club, plays the AIS-AFL Academy at the MCG before the round one AFL clash between Carlton and Richmond.

The curtain raiser starts at 4.30pm.

Mark Macgugan covers Hawks news for AFL.com.au and hawthornfc.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_MarkM.