Hale news on knee eases blow for Hawks

HAWTHORN'S preferred backline may not be pieced back together until next year but its ruck division will be restored much sooner, with the news yesterday that David Hale could play again within six weeks.

The Hawks paid a heavy price for their commendable triumph over St Kilda on Sunday, but learned yesterday that it could have been significantly higher when Hale underwent exploratory surgery on his right knee.
The operation found that when Hale hurt himself in the second term on Sunday, his knee locked rather than buckled, as Stephen Gilham's had a quarter earlier. The upshot is a stint on the sidelines of between four and six weeks while Gilham, who requires a reconstruction, will not be available again until next year.
"When Hale landed and the injury occurred, his knee locked up and he was in quite a bit of pain." Hawthorn's football operations manager Mark Evans said.
"It was very similar to the injury (Port Adelaide's) David Rodan suffered. A piece of the meniscus lodged in the middle of the joint. That was removed today.
"We're relatively pleased with the outcome and if everything goes smoothly, he should be back in the mix in around four to six weeks."
The news on Hale not only means that he should be available for the Hawks by July but that forward Jarryd Roughead, who stepped into the breach against the Saints, should be spared the punishment of a permanent back-up role in the centre square.
Equally, it means that later in the season, the Hawks can return to their preferred arrangement up forward with Roughead and Lance Franklin working together inside the forward 50m arc.
If Brent Renouf doesn't play this weekend, against Sydney, it is likely that Max Bailey will return for the first time since his third knee reconstruction at the end of the 2009 season.
Renouf missed the match against the Saints with a hamstring twinge.
Bailey, in his sixth season, has played just six games because of his knee injuries but has been progressing in the VFL this year and played well for Box Hill on the weekend.
The relief over Hale's injury did not extend to Gilham, the second key defender the Hawks have lost in the first two months of the season.
With Ben Stratton already gone for the year with a serious knee injury and Gilham now out of the frame, the raw but talented Ryan Schoenmakers seems likely to be brought into the side for the Swans match, after a month in the VFL to ease back from an achilles tendon injury.
Schoenmakers, at 193cm, is the only adequately sized option for a key defensive post, with Grant Birchall better suited to a flank and Josh Gibson, who took St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt on Sunday, standing just 189cm.
After consultation with the club doctors, the Hawks decided on a traditional knee reconstruction for Gilham, rather than the LARS method, which, if successful, can have a player back in competition within three months.
"Obviously, it's extremely disappointing for Stephen, who has been a important player for us down back," Evans said.
"But I'm certain he will remain an important member of the team from the sidelines, assisting some of our younger players with their development while focusing on his own rehabilitation."