HAWTHORN skipper Luke Hodge took a big step in his recovery from a nagging Achilles injury on Friday, but doubt remains over his availability for the Hawks' round one clash against Adelaide.

Hodge, who has been dogged by tendon soreness for the past seven weeks, hadn't played any football in preparation for the 2011 season until he managed about 52 minutes of game time for Box Hill in a VFL practice match against Williamstown at Whitten Oval on Friday afternoon.

The Hawks' skipper was delighted with the hit-out, and was intent on playing on, but fitness staff called it a day at three-quarter time. Follwing the game, Hodge was reluctant to declare himself a certainty for the season opener.

"I've still got to pull up well. Achilles injuries are pretty fragile things. I've still got to make sure it pulls up all right and that I get through training during the week," Hodge said.

"If all of that is good then hopefully I can put my hand up for the weekend, but if not then that's footy. You just have to wait and see how it goes."

While that's not the resounding endorsement fans were hoping for, it's a much better scenario than Hodge thought possible when he awoke on Friday morning.

"I was a little bit worried because I woke up and the Achilles wasn't feeling as good as it has in the past," he said.

"But I got to the game and got a bit of work through the calf and the Achilles and once I'd warmed up it felt amazing."

Hodge's Achilles injury has been a constant theme towards the end of an otherwise upbeat Hawthorn preparation. And the longevity of the issue has fuelled speculation outside the club about its severity.

But Hodge said this was the nature of tendon injuries. "They're pretty fragile," he said.

"Some days they're good and other days they're not so good. You take the good with the bad, but after the last two or three weeks I can definitely say that it's on the improve.

"The way I've been able to back up sessions makes me feel like it's really coming along."