Cyril Rioli Biography

Hawthorn and some of its former Indigenous players reach a settlement in court after mediation following allegations of racism against the club and its former coach Alastair Clarkson, his former assistant Chris Fagan and former welfare manager Jason Burt that were first aired publicly in September 2022.

Cyril Rioli was the lead applicant in a statement of claim lodged in the Federal Court in July alongside his wife Shannyn Ah Sam-Rioli, former players Carl Peterson and Jermaine Miller-Lewis, his partner Montanah-Rae Lewis, and Hawthorn's former Indigenous liaison officer Leon Egan.

"Hawthorn accepts that the allegations were made in good faith, and has heard, respects, and accepts that they represent their truths," part of a statement from the Hawks said.

"Hawthorn is sorry and apologises that the former players, partners, and their families, in either pursuing a football career, or in supporting such a person, experienced ongoing hurt and distress in their time at the Club."

Six complainants in the Hawks' racism probe, including four-time premiership player Cyril Rioli, have identified themselves in an open letter.

Rioli, wife Shannyn Ah Sam-Rioli, ex-Hawthorn players Carl Peterson and Jermaine Miller-Lewis, as well as his partner Montanah Miller-Lewis, and former Hawks Indigenous manager Leon Egan have released a statement to the media via their lawyer Leon Zwier.

"All we ever wanted was to sit with the coaches and officials we looked up to, and who had such control over our lives and our futures. Make them understand what we heard, what impact it had on our lives, and to listen to them tell us their own truths - even why they thought they were helping us," the letter reads.

"And we are gutted that these so-called AFL role models weren't prepared to listen to our truths through mediation. We have always had the courage to listen to their truths too. That is our way."

Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett says the Hawks are taking Cyril Rioli's claims of racism against the club seriously while giving no clue as to his immediate future.

"We will, firstly, seek to establish the facts, before working through the best way of responding to the matters that require addressing," Kennett said.

"Matters have been brought to our attention. We are taking them seriously and any failings will be addressed."

Jeff Kennett is under increasing pressure to step down as president of Hawthorn after revelations about his treatment of Cyril Rioli and the premiership star's family, including Rioli's wife Shannyn.

In a report in The Age on Saturday, Rioli said he would not return to the club while Kennett remains in his post. The four-time flag hero's stance is the result of a series of issues that Rioli said fractured the relationship between Hawthorn and its Indigenous players during his time there between 2008 and 2018.

Following the report, Hawthorn released a formal apology to the Rioli family for what they had experienced at the club.

"We are sorry that Cyril and Shannyn experienced these incidents during their time at the club. We are saddened these experiences have left them feeling the way they do. Combating racism and educating everyone both within our own walls and in the community is something we are constantly working on and believe we are getting better at," the statement said.

Cyril Rioli completes a fairytale comeback to footy, kicking the winning goal for the Tiwi Bombers in a one-point victory over Palmerston in Saturday's NTFL match at Bathurst Island.

The Bombers trailed the Magpies by 24 points at the last change, but in his first match since retiring from Hawthorn early last year, Rioli kicked a late goal to seal the 11.13 (79) to 12.6 (78) win.

Cyril Rioli makes an official return to football, agreeing to be an assistant coach for Northern Territory Football League club Tiwi Bombers.

Cyril Rioli has been confirmed as the last sporting champion to take the plunge as part of the Big Freeze at the 'G on Monday.

The four-time premiership Hawk and Norm Smith medallist was locked in to be the 14th slider during Collingwood's clash with Melbourne on Queen's Birthday.

Chris Judd, Dane Swan, Nick Riewoldt, Jobe Watson and Sam Mitchell are some of the other ex-AFL stars preparing for the slide into icy water.

Cyril Rioli congratulates his cousin Willie Rioli outside the West Coast rooms as the Eagles celebrate winning the 2018 AFL premiership.

"It was pretty emotional," Rioli said.

"He just congratulated me on the year I had and how he was happy for me.

"It's still sinking in today. It's been a long journey for me. I never thought I'd have the year I've had.

"To have this medal around my neck, it's all credit to mum and dad for that."

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson says he sent a cheeky text message to retired star Cyril Rioli, in an attempt to lure him back for finals.

"I did send a text message a couple of weeks ago," Clarkson told SEN.

"Just to say, 'listen mate, you can just pop out of retirement for a couple of weeks if you like'. I got a smiley face response that suggests he's enjoying his retirement up in Darwin."

Daniel Rioli says a pre-match conversation with cousin Cyril Rioli helped calmed his nerves before the 2017 grand final.

"I was in the locker room and just gave Cyril a quick call," Daniel said.

"He gave me a little bit of advice about how to go out there and just play footy, play your normal role and really just have fun."

Cyril Rioli's first stop in the AFL after-life will be to visit his father in Alice Springs before honouring him by wearing his No.1 for St Mary's.

Rioli's dad suffered a near-fatal heart attack in Grand Final week last year and required surgery, the first and most critical in a series of events that caused the brilliant Hawk to call it quits this week.

Rioli desperately wants to join his father – also named Cyril – as a St Mary's premiership player.

Rioli's dad, who has recovered from his health scare, won an incredible 12 flags for the Darwin-based Saints and is a Northern Territory football great.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson says he didn't try to talk Cyril Rioli out of retiring, saying they never intended to "handcuff" the mercurial forward to the club "and certainly not the Melbourne lifestyle".

"In the Aboriginal culture, in a lot of cases, aunties, uncles and grandparents have significant responsibilities in the raising of children and Cyril now feels like that's a responsibility he needs to meet," Clarkson said.

"I think it's a beautiful responsibility and I applaud him.

"That's why it's so easy for us, in a sense, to shake his hand, look him in the eye, give him a hug and say 'All the best, thanks for what you've done here, mate but we really love what you're doing'."

Cyril Rioli announces his shock retirement from AFL football at the age of 28.

The 28-year old was ready to retire at the end of an unhappy 2017 in which he played just seven games before a season-ending knee injury was followed by his father suffering a heart attack.

He had a delayed start to the pre-season to care for his father and only decided to return to the club at the start of February.

He injured his medial ligament in round four against Melbourne this year and that was the last time he played for the club.

"The decision to retire from football is something that I have thought long and hard about over the past 12 months. I've weighed everything up and I am confident the decision I've made is the right one for me and my family," Rioli said.

"Football has been my life but it's always been difficult being away from home. Now is the right time to go home and spend more time with friends and family.

"I love the Hawthorn Football Club and I cannot thank them enough for the opportunities they've given me and the way they've embraced me and my family over the past 11 years."

Hawthorn appears to be closer to working out a resolution with star forward Cyril Rioli, who has been on personal leave since mid-June.

"It's just an enormously difficult situation and a touch of sadness attached to it," Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson explained.

"He's done some pretty special things for us over the last 10 years and we'd be hoping at some point in time he gets back on deck and plays some footy for us."

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson has met with Cyril Rioli, but is no clearer on when the four-time premiership player will be back at the club, let alone return to the field.

"He's been back in Darwin for a couple of weeks with Shannyn and his family. He's slowly working through some things," Clarkson said.

"They've still got some delicate things that they need to deal with over the next little while."

Cyril Rioli is back in Melbourne but no timeframe has been given for his return.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson says the club does not know when Cyril Rioli will return from personal leave to spend time with family in Darwin.

"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," Clarkson said.

"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."

Cyril Rioli's return to football is on hold and his future unclear following his return to Darwin to spend more time with his family.

"Cyril expressed to us his desire to return to Darwin with his wife Shannyn and be with their family," Hawthorn's general manager of football Graham Wright said.

"Physically, Cyril is in great condition, and potentially could have played for us in the coming weeks. However, we acknowledge his desire to be with family."

Cyril Rioli is expected to miss up to six weeks after straining a medial ligament in the same knee where he suffered a season-ending PCL injury in 2017.

Cyril Rioli has been declared fit and will play for Hawthorn in their 2018 season opener against Collingwood at the MCG.

The 28-year-old mercurial forward missed the last 14 weeks of the 2017 season after suffering a PCL injury while flying for a mark against Brisbane in Launceston.

"When I came back to training, I just worked hard and it didn’t matter whether I played this round or round five," Rioli said.

"I set a goal to get fit and I’m pretty happy where I am. I’m confident with where my body is at and I’m looking forward to getting out there and getting a kick."

Cyril Rioli says he briefly contemplated AFL retirement after his father suffered a near-fatal heart attack.

"A lot of things were going through my head - to get the phone call, that he'd had a heart attack," he said.

"They weren't too sure if he was going to make it.

"That was one of the things - if I can keep my Dad and get rid of all the accolades I've had, I definitely would have, without a doubt.

"It made me appreciate life a lot more and it was something I really needed."

Cyril Rioli opens up about taking compassionate leave from Hawthorn last month after his father's heart surgery.

"He's on the road to recovery and he's looking pretty good," Rioli said.

"What he went through was pretty tough and very scary.

"Just to be by his side and supporting him, I'm loving that and so would he."

Cyril Rioli is granted compassionate leave by Hawthorn after his father underwent heart surgery this week.

"We fully understand Cyril’s desire to be with his family at this time and as such have granted him compassionate leave for as long as he requires," Hawthorn football manager Jason Burt said.

Cyril Rioli suffers a significant PCL injury against Brisbane is facing 8-12 weeks out of the side.

Wayne Carey reveals that Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson apologised to him for comments made in a media conference after Hawthorn's win over West Coast.

Carey suggested on radio the day earlier that Hawks star Cyril Rioli was homesick and wanted to return home to the Tiwi islands.

Clarkson responded fiercely but Carey said that the Hawks coach had admitted he went over the top.

"The lesson I took out of it all is … I'm in the game to talk about footy and I guess rumour and innuendo is not what I'm in the media to discuss, so I should leave that to news people," Carey said.

"There's no rift between Clarko and I. We were teammates and we've got very good mutual friends.

"It was very positive and I had no problem in accepting his apology. We move forward and that's it."

Cyril Rioli extends his contract with Hawthorn until the end of 2020.

"I'm very happy where I am, and couldn't see myself being anywhere else," Rioli said.

"There was no hesitation after being offered the extension until 2020. It was a no-brainer for me and I said yes immediately."

Daniel Rioli earns the NAB AFL Rising Star round 22 nomination after kicking two goals from 16 possessions against St Kilda.

Rioli says he has modeled his game around his uncle, Cyril Rioli, who plays for Hawthorn.

"I watched him a lot as a kid. Going to school at St Patrick's College in Ballarat, I'd usually catch the train and stay at his place on the weekends and watch him play," Rioli said.

"I try to model my game on him. He's a small forward and I'm a small forward now so we play a similar role.

"He's given me a lot of advice and tells me to treat each game like just another game of footy and that's helped a lot."

Cyril Rioli has copped a $1,000 fine after his hip and shoulder on Clayton Oliver but says he will not change his physical style.

"Yeah, I was (relieved) actually, cost me a bit of money but …" he said.

"I just went at the body, I didn't think too much about it and after the game I spoke to some of the guys about if I'd get looked at.

"But I wasn't too worried about it."

Cyril and Daniel Rioli will both miss their club's matches this weekend to return to the Northern Territory for their grandfather's funeral.

Cyril Kalippa passed away earlier this month at the age of 81 after a battle with illness.

Cyril Rioli wearing traditional indigenous body paint and sharing a touching moment with his father is featured in a 2015 AFL Grand Final film shown at the AFL season launch function in Melbourne.

Rioli, last year's Norm Smith medallist, is seen dancing on a beach with members of his family including father Cyril, a champion footballer in the Northern Territory and brother of the late Richmond star, Maurice.

"Cyril was really keen when I explained the 'stay the path' idea to him and his dad and cousins were fantastic. They really embraced it," filmmaker Peter Dickson said.

Cyril Rioli says staying healthy is his priority for 2016.

"Watching when (I've been) injured, it cuts me up a bit," he said.

"After all the hard work that we've done during the pre-season, when it comes to the season I don't want to be injured so just being out there and playing (is the aim)."

Cyril Rioli signs a two-year contract extension with Hawthorn that will keep him at the club until the end of 2019.

Josh Gibson has entered rarified air at Hawthorn by joining legends Leigh Matthews and Jason Dunstall as the only Hawks to win multiple best and fairest awards in premiership seasons.

The versatile Hawks defender edged out runner-up Cyril Rioli for the 2015 award at Crown Palladium on Saturday night, two years after winning his first Peter Crimmins Medal.

He now stands aside the immortal Matthews (1971, '76 and '78) and goalkicking record holder Dunstall ('86 and '89) as a multiple club champion in premiership years.

Gibson polled 204 votes this season, 10 more than Rioli following the superstar small forward's career-best year.

Champion midfielder Sam Mitchell placed third with 192 votes after another dominant campaign, highlighted by a brilliant finals series.

Gibson said he was stunned to pip Rioli and Mitchell after their stellar seasons.

"These guys next to me tonight have had fantastic years, as have a lot of guys at the club," Gibson said.

"It's totally unexpected … I wasn't even thinking about this.

"To my teammates, I know it's an individual award, but you don't win these things unless you've got the support of the guys around you.

"Especially the brotherhood, my defenders, I love you blokes."

Cyril Rioli wins the Norm Smith medal after being selected as best on ground in the 2016 Grand Final against West Coast.

Rioli was presented with his award by dual Norm Smith medallist and Adelaide champion Andrew McLeod, who he thanked on stage along with his wife and children.

Hawthorn hoses down fears Cyril Rioli has suffered a setback with his troublesome hamstrings after the dynamic small forward was sent for scans.

"There's nothing wrong with his hamstring," Hawthorn's general manager of football operations Chris Fagan said.

"He had a couple of bumps and bruises from yesterday's game, so we had some precautionary scans but nothing sinister and nothing that will stop him from playing this weekend."

Cyril Rioli is confident his pre-Christmas running program has his hamstrings ready to stand up to the on-field rigours that await him in 2015.

"I feel a lot stronger in the legs," Rioli said.

"It's been pretty tough ... long-distance running isn't my thing. I definitely embraced it. Pre-Christmas I was doing a lot of hill sprints and a lot more running. After Christmas I got into skills."

Hawthorn's latest plan to strengthen star forward Cyril Rioli's hamstrings involves high intensity hill running.

Hawthorn's fitness coach Andrew Russell said the club was well aware of the need to be innovative when it came to preparing Rioli.

"We're continually changing things with Cyril and finding different ways of doing it," Russell said.

"We've done a lot of high intensity running … and done a bit more hill running than in the past."

After returning just in time to become a triple premiership player, Cyril Rioli admitted he feared his season was over when he tore his hamstring in round 15.

"A lot of things ran through my mind that I wasn't going to get back so it's a credit to the fitness staff for getting me back and I'm so thankful for that. We've got a great bunch of people down there to get me through," Rioli said.

"My goal was to just put on that forward pressure with the boys up there and I think we did that and did it all day, so I'm just stoked."

Alastair Clarkson says including Cyril Rioli in Hawthorn's 2014 Grand Final side to face Sydney was an easy decision despite Rioli not having played a game since injuring his hamstring tendon in round 15.

"Everyone knows Cyril doesn't need to get 20 possessions to have impact on a game – it's his defensive pressure," Clarkson said.

"We know when we're training out at Waverley and when you've got the ball in the defensive half and Cyril's in the area, you panic.

"And we know that the exact same thing's going to be the Sydney defensive blokes when they've got the ball."

Getting through a game has convinced Cyril Rioli he is fit enough to be picked for Hawthorn in next week's Grand Final.

After almost three months out recovering from a hamstring tear, Rioli made his return in the VFL grand final on Sunday for the Box Hill Hawks.

He played the first three quarters and worked into the game before sitting out the last term as Box Hill was overrun by Footscray.

"I'd say I'm ready. I eased into it and out on the ground I hit some speed, which I was very happy with, so I'm glad it held up. Hopefully I'm playing next week," Rioli said after the game.

"I was hoping to play 60-70 per cent of game time and I think we did that. Like I said, I got through pretty good and hit some top pace, which I'm pretty happy about."

Cyril Rioli won't take the risk of playing unfit in the preliminary final according to Hawks teammate Luke Breust.

"If he wasn't right he'd definitely say no to the medical staff and wouldn't put the team in jeopardy," Breust said.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson has conceded forward Cyril Rioli could be running out of time to play in the finals.

"He's got an injury that's pretty serious, he's missed a lot of footy and he had a scan two or three weeks ago that showed his progress hasn't advanced to the level we hoped it would," Clarkson said.

"That doesn't mean he's been ruled out either.

"He'll continue to progress his training over the next two to three weeks, and we're going to give him every chance to try and play."

Hawthorn admits that Cyril Rioli's recovery from a hamstring injury has been slower than expected but still expects the star forward to be available for the finals.

"Regular surveillance scans on Rioli have shown his injury has been steadily improving," general manager of football Chris Fagan said.

"Scans showed the tendon healing process slowed a little."

Cyril Rioli is being physically challenged at training to make sure his hamstring stands up when he returns to the field in the next month.

With four rounds left before the finals, Rioli is on the verge of joining in ball work at training after a solid program designed to test his body.

"I know the training regime he's going through at the moment, he looks super fit and he's running around about 90 per cent speed, so he's not too far off," Hawthorn football operations manager Chris Fagan told Sportsday.

"He's about to start joining in some ball work - our fitness guys have put him under as much stress as they can to make sure he stands up for the rest of the season and hopefully all things will go well."

Cyril Rioli is making better than expected progress in his recovery from a hamstring injury with the club now confident he could return before the finals.

"He's been full of beans since his return and has started his rehab from the hamstring," general manager of football operations Chris Fagan said.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson says Cyril Rioli still needs to learn what he can and can't do on the football field to avoid further hamstring injuries.

"We're learning things all the time about Cyril's body, his physiology, the type of mechanisms that he puts himself at risk of when he plays the game," Clarkson said.

"It's OK if you're running in a straight line and staying upright, but some of the mechanisms of running at speed, trying to pick up a ball or kick it off the ground or do what these players have to do, then for someone like Cyril that's causing him lots of implications."

Cyril Rioli's season is in doubt after scans revealed the Hawthorn forward sustained a serious hamstring injury that will sideline him for 8-10 weeks.

Rioli was sprinting for the ball during the final quarter of the Hawks' win over Gold Coast at Aurora Stadium on Saturday when he felt a twinge in his left hamstring.

He finished the game on the bench with ice strapped to the back of his leg.

"Unfortunately scans have indicated that Cyril has sustained a hamstring tendon injury, which is more serious than we first anticipated," Hawthorn football operations manager Chris Fagan said.

"While he is understandably disappointed to be missing some footy, he is eager to begin his rehab with the aim of making a valuable contribution to the side again this season."

Hawthorn is expecting to be without star forward Cyril Rioli for "around a month" after he injured his hamstring in the win over Gold Coast in Launceston.

"He'll go through due process. They all get scans and they all get checked thoroughly and he'll do that tomorrow I would have thought," Hawks coach Brendon Bolton said after the game.

"I don't think it's as significant a hamstring like Sam Mitchell has had but most times you say around a month when someone gives a bit of a nick."

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson says Cyril Rioli may have to be played more as a forward with limited time in the midfield in a bid to prolong his career.

"I'd suggest that he'll still have a pretty strong balance between forward line and midfield in the years ahead because he's such a special player we don't want to just confine him to one area of the ground," Clarkson said.

"But if it means he's going to miss games of footy then it might be that we just have to eventually just play him forward if he continues to get injured."

Hawthorn confirm dynamic forward Cyril Rioli will miss at least three weeks with a hamstring strain. Rioli suffered the injury in the third quarter of Hawthorn's loss to the Sydney Swans.

Brian Lake and Cyril Rioli face late starts to 2014 after being handed bans for transgressions during the 2013 Grand Final against Fremantle.

Cyril Rioli looks to set to return the Hawks' lineup to take on the Cats in a preliminary final after overcoming an ankle injury that has kept him on the sidelines since round 22.

Cyril Rioli will be rested against the Swans in the final round of the 2012 AFL regular season due to a slight ankle injury but is expected to return for the finals.

"There's just no point," Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson said.

"We've been really cautious with our players this year making sure they're fit and energised for our finals campaign so we won't take any risks."

Cyril Rioli signs a new three-year deal with Hawthorn that will keep him at the club until the end of 2017.

"If I could stick around here for the rest of my career, I'll be a very happy man," Rioli said.

"This contract gets me to 10 years at this club so hopefully I can play some good footy and get another extension and be around here until I finish.

"That's my goal, to stick around at the Hawthorn Football Club for as long as I can."

After signing a new deal with Hawthorn, Cyril Rioli says he hopes teammate Lance Franklin will do the same.

"I've played a lot of footy with 'Buddy', so hopefully now that I've re-signed, he might," Rioli said.

"But that's up to him."

Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson says the club is holding back Cyril Rioli despite Rioli being ready to play after recovering from a hamstring injury.

"He trained really well last week in preparation for the West Coast Eagles game and we could have nearly selected him for that game, but we chose not to," Clarkson said.

"We just feel like, if he gets two to three weeks of flat-out training under his belt, then he's going to be right to go."

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson says Cyril Rioli is set to return to the Hawks' side soon after recovering from a hamstring strain.

"He won't be too far away," Clarkson said.

"We've just got to make sure. We're winning games of footy without him, which is really fortunate for us because we rely so heavily on him; he's a very, very important player to our structure.

"We just want to make sure he's right when he does come back."

Alastair Clarkson says Hawthorn will take a cautious approach with Cyril Rioli who will not be returning to the side until at least round 12.

"His rehab is going really well and we're pleased," Clarkson said.

"But he's had hamstring injuries before and we want to make sure he gets it totally right."

After kicking four goals, Cyril Rioli strains his hamstring against North Melbourne and is expected to miss several weeks.

"We were lucky we had him in the first three-and-a-bit quarters, because we'd have been in a bit of trouble without him," Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson said.

"He's a pretty special talent, and we needed some special things today."

Scans confirm a high-grade tear on Cyril Rioli's hamstring which will see Hawk match-winner miss at least seven weeks.

Cyril Rioli says the pain of losing the 2012 Grand Final has driven him to become a better player.

"Just going through that loss and that feeling afterwards, I never want to lose like that again," Rioli said.

"I pretty much got tagged and got shut out of the game too. Every time I'm out on the track or during the pre-season it's made me just try that little bit harder.

"It's something that will drive me for the rest of my career. I never want that to ever happen again."

Cyril Rioli faces at least two weeks on the sidelines after rolling his ankle at training.

"Cyril rolled his ankle in the first game and pulled up a bit sore afterwards," Hawthorn football manager Mark Evans confirmed in a statement.

"He'll wear a moonboot for a couple of days to protect the ankle, and we expect he'll miss a couple of weeks."

Dr Peter Larkins says Hawk Cyril Rioli will likely be playing hurt during the finals if he returns from a shoulder injury.

"Given that they're reporting he has deep bruising and some bleeding around the nerves, we know that he has lost the power in his shoulder. That bruising is likely to be associated with a micro-crack and he'll certainly be sore if he gets knocks and contact for three or four weeks," Larkins said.

Port midfielder Hamish Hartlett to miss the next two games after the AFL Tribunal finds him guilty of striking Hawk Cyril Rioli in an off-the-ball incident.

Hawthorn star forward Cyril Rioli is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks with a shoulder injury after a physical clash with Port Adelaide's Hamish Hartlett.

Hartlett faces a week on the sidelines after being offered a one-match suspension for the off-the-ball strike on Rioli.

"We will be in better position to determine a timeline for Cyril's return when the injury site has settled and he resumes training," Hawthorn football manager Mark Evans said.

"Cyril will progress over the next few weeks as function in his shoulder allows."

Cyril Rioli kicks six goals against St Kilda and says he was inspired by his uncle, who passed away just days before the clash.

"I got a bit of motivation from that. I was happy with my game tonight and hopefully he enjoyed it," Rioli said.

"I've been a bit down on myself and I know I can get a lot better. To kick six tonight - I was pretty happy with that."

Cyril Rioli has challenged himself to lift his form ahead of Hawthorn's big clash with West Coast.

"I was a bit rusty at the start of the year, so hopefully I can get better as the year goes on," Rioli said.

"I'm going OK, but I'm not where I want to be at. I'll just keep working on it."

star Cyril Rioli says 2012 could be a career-defining season for him.

"I guess this year is probably a big year for me, in terms of going that one step better," he said.

"Personally, I want to hopefully be injury free and get through that whole year and, hopefully, that sets me up until the end of my career. I'm very excited by the signs and the way I've been going in the pre-season."

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson is expecting big things from Cyril Rioli in 2012 after a big-preseason from the small forward.

"His body has been able to handle larger volumes of work and we've been really excited with what he's been able to produce over the summer months," Clarkson said.

"He's looking strong, agile and fit, and with that continuity week-to-week in his training we have high expectations from Cyril."

Hawk Cyril Rioli is still working through the overhaul of his running technique which he hopes will help him overcome persistent hamstring injuries.

"We're trying to change muscle memory, and muscle memory takes thousands of hours of repetition to change," Hawthorn fitness coach Andrew Russell said.

"Every single time he runs we're videoing him and giving him feedback. He needs to be able to visualise the movement and then actually execute the movement.

"If you can visualise the movement, you can activate parts of your brain that drive that movement. So it's not just a physical phenomenon we're dealing with, and he can actually change his muscle firing rates by how he thinks."

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson says he will prepare Cyril Rioli for September by restricting his game time.

"We don't want him to play 100 per cent game time," Clarkson said.

"If he plays somewhere between 80 to 85 per cent that's sort of the margin we'd look at in terms of percentages but whether that's a little bit of midfield or forward [we don't know]. Hopefully the flexibility of he being able to do both at different stages is really valuable for our side."

Young Hawks Cyril Rioli and Ben Stratton have extended their deals with the club until the end of 2014.

"We're delighted to have extended the contracts of two talented young players and believe it delivers an extremely strong message of commitment to the club and our aspirations for success," general manager of football operations Mark Evans said.

"This announcement is a significant commitment from two important members of our team who will play an integral part in the long-term future of Hawthorn Football Club and provides us with a strong framework moving forward."

Livewire Cyril Rioli will trial a new running style in a bid to avoid persistent hamstring injuries.

"The last few weeks I've been going back with the trainers and they're teaching me how to run again, which is a bit hard," Rioli told 3AW radio.

"(I'm working on taking) smaller steps, getting upright. So I've been focusing on that all week, looking at vision."

Cyril Rioli gives evidence at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court in a rape trial against friend Shaun Stanislaus.

Cyril Rioli tells the court that he was at a Kew house when one of his friends allegedly raped a woman after alcohol and marijuana were consumed.

Port Adelaide footballer Nick Salter explains his stoush with Hawthorn's Cyril Rioli which resulted in the Hawk forward copping a two-week suspension.

"There was a wrestle going on and I wasn't just going to sit there and watch my mate (Stewart) get held down on the ground, so I went in to help out," Salter said.

"The next thing I know is there's blows being thrown but I didn't feel too much. There wasn't much in it."

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson says Cyril Rioli still does not fully understand what he is capable of yet.

"He's such a humble kid, he could really cause some pain for an opposition down the track," Clarkson said.

"He doesn't realise he can tear a game apart,"

Despite recent starring turns for the Hawks, Cyril Rioli says he is still feeling the groin injury, similar to osteitis pubix (OP), that interrupted his pre-season.

"It was something along the lines of that (OP)," he said.

"The only solid hit-out I will get is the games now. The week's pretty light for me. I'm getting a lot of physio and extra rubs. Recovery during the week and a big hit-out during the game."

A survey of coaches says Nic Naitanui can become the competition's premier player, ahead of Michael Hurley and Cyril Rioli.

Hawthorn skipper Sam Mitchell says the club will be 'careful' with recovery of mercurial forward Cyril Rioli from osteitis pubis.

"He's got some groin pain and a little bit of stuff around his pelvis that's causing trouble," Mitchell said.

"He just had such a fantastic preparation and was training so well for such a long time that he overdid it a little bit."

"Anything to do with your groin or your pelvis region is something you have to manage carefully, and the club is all over it at the moment."

Hawthorn captain Sam Mitchell won the Peter Crimmins Medal as Hawthorn's best and fairest for season 2009 ahead of runner-up Cyril Rioli.

Adelaide's Brett Burton has won the 2009 Hungry Jack's Mark of the Year while Hawthorn's Cyril Rioli has won the AFL Stores Goal of the Year.

"Without a doubt, it's the best mark I've ever taken. It's certainly the biggest mark I've ever taken. When I was up there, I thought, 'whoa!' It did feel good," Burton said of his mark.

"I would also like to thank my teammate Chance Bateman for giving me the handball to have the opportunity to kick the goal," Rioli said of his goal.

Hawthorn has re-signed young guns Xavier Ellis and Cyril Rioli. Rioli has committed to the Hawks for a further three seasons while Ellis has signed on for another two years.

"Rioli is an exciting player to watch and his work ethic is outstanding. His tackling has become a real feature of his game and he has continued his impressive form in his second season," Hawthorn general manager of football operations Mark Evans said.

"Xavier has shown great application and versatility in his football this season playing defensive, through the midfield and forward at times."

Hawthorn's Cyril Rioli returns to the side to take on the Kangaroos after recovering from a hamstring tear.

Hawthorn's last-ditch bid to revive its season has been given a big boost, with Cyril Rioli set to take on North Melbourne.

Rioli has missed a month after tearing his hamstring against Sydney in Round 11, but trained well yesterday and is almost certain to play.

"He has trained really well today. He has to get through our final training session, but we expect him to play," Hawthorn football manager Mark Evans said.

Cyril Rioli is the latest victim of Hawthorn's injury curse, with a hamstring strain certain to sideline him for at least three weeks.

Cyril Rioli faces a month on the sidelines after tearing his hamstring against Sydney Swans.

"I dare say he will certainly miss next week's game and how much longer he misses will be determined by the severity of the injury," Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said.

"But it didn't look good in terms of being able to come back from the ground. He'll certainly miss a couple I reckon."

Cyril Rioli says he has no plans to leave Hawthorn when his contract runs out.

"Getting extra money doesn't really matter that much to me. I'm pretty happy here and I wouldn't go anywhere," he said.

"The way the club is going now, I'm pretty much settled here now.

"I'm here to stay and I don't want to be going anywhere. With the new contract, I'm just going to let it come. I'm not too fussed about that. I'm just happy to be playing footy."

Hawthorn, already facing salary cap squeeze, is confronting another difficult question - what to pay Cyril Rioli who has become one of the most talented youngsters in the competition.

Hawthorn players return to Melbourne from their trip to Papua New Guinea where they trekked throught the gruelling Kokoda trail.

The group of players include Simon Taylor as well as new recruits Brendan Whitecross, Cyril Rioli and Stuart Dew.

"It was emotionally and physically the hardest thing I've ever done," Taylor said.

"You were wet by nine o'clock in the morning with sweat, and you would stay that way for the rest of the day. And then you'd bathe in a creek to try and get the sweat off your clothes, which you put back on the next day."