HAWTHORN star Cyril Rioli will adjust his approach to training in a bid to stop the hamstring issues that have plagued his season so far.

Rioli tweaked his right hamstring against Geelong in round five and again during the Hawks' defeat of Essendon in round 14, sidelining him for a total of four matches so far this year.

The 22 year-old will return against Melbourne on Sunday and hopes extra high-intensity training sessions as part of his preparation, plus some adjustments to his running technique, will help prevent another re-occurrence.

"It's happened a few times easing into the week and then coming to game day being really explosive," Rioli said at Waverley Park on Thursday morning.

"I guess now I've got to have a few hits during the week of high intensity pace.

"I'll start doing that now and taking that into games."

Rioli signed a two-year contract extension with the Hawks this week, which will take him through to the end of the 2014 season.

 Young, exciting and talented, the premiership player would have shaped as a prime recruiting target for expansion team Greater Western Sydney.

But Rioli said he was "relieved" to have committed to Hawthorn beyond 2012, when the Giants' window for recruiting uncontracted players will close.

"Hawthorn chose me, and I'm happy to re-pay them by staying for another couple of years, and hopefully beyond that, I can stick out my career here," Rioli said.

"I've always wanted to stay at the Hawks and I’m happy that I've re-signed."

Injured defender Ben Stratton also signed a contract extension this week.

Stratton, a NAB AFL Rising Star nominee in his first season with the Hawks in 2010, was recruited from WAFL club East Perth.

Hawthorn has lost several stars to their home states since the League expanded, including Darren Jarman and Tony Hall to Adelaide and Ben Allan and Luke McPharlin to Fremantle.

But the 22 year-old said he was settled in Melbourne and at the Hawks, and never considered a move home.

"Melbourne's a good place," Stratton said.

"It's always nice to get back home on the holidays, but I'm settled here and very happy."

Stratton seriously injured his knee during Hawthorn's round three win over Richmond, and said surgeons were happy with the progress being made in his rehabilitation.

He has taken his extended lay-off as an opportunity to work on his leadership skills.

"I've been going through tapes with younger guys in the VFL and helping them develop, and spending a bit more time with our backline coach," Stratton said.

Mark Macgugan writes for hawthornfc.com.au and covers Hawks news for afl.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @mmacgugan.