Rioli's season is in doubt after he pinged a hamstring for the second time this year in Saturday's 53-point win over Gold Coast in Launceston.

 

The electrifying star is facing 8-10 weeks on the sidelines, which follows a nine-week spell out of the game last season with a high-grade tear.

 

Earlier this season, Clarkson flagged the possibility that Rioli could be restricted to the forward line if he continued to battle injury problems.

 

On Monday, the returning senior coach admitted the Hawks are still learning how to manage the 24-year-old.

 

"As tough as it is we continue to learn things about each incident that occurs," Clarkson said.

 

"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.

 

"We're talking about a lad that can run at nearly Olympic or Commonwealth Games speed, he's just electrifying with his speed.

 

"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."

 

Clarkson thought Rioli was running "as quick as I've seen him run in his career" when he watched the Hawks' round 14 win over Collingwood from the grandstand.

 

"We've just got to understand the speed at which he can run and try to educate him on the areas of the game where he's most at risk - and that's running at full speed trying to pick up a ground level ball," he said.

 

"Now that needs to be done in the game so how we actually do that and coach that leading into the future we'll just have to wait and see.

 

"Hopefully we're getting close to finding the right solution with how we can get Cyril out on the park more often for us."

 

Hawks skipper Luke Hodge said Rioli remained "upbeat" despite the injury and was confident his premiership teammate could have an impact for the side later in the season.

 

On a positive note for Hawthorn, former skipper Sam Mitchell is set to return after seven matches on the sidelines with his own hamstring tendon injury.

 

Mitchell has not played since he pulled up lame in the Hawks' 145-point smashing of St Kilda in round seven at the MCG.

 

"Whether he's (playing for) Box Hill or seniors on Friday night, you know he's going to be able to run out a game because he finds the ball and has an impact wherever he plays," Hodge said.

 

The Hawks take on North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Friday night.