HAWTHORN midfielder Bradley Hill will miss the start of the season after suffering a wrist injury in the Hawks' intraclub match this week.
The Hawks held a tightly guarded hit-out on Monday and news filtered out on Tuesday evening that Hill could miss an extended period with a fractured wrist.
Hill joins premiership teammates Jarryd Roughead (knee) and Liam Shiels (wrist) on the sidelines as the Hawks prepare for their blockbuster round one clash against Geelong on Easter Monday.
Jordan Lewis confirmed the injury on Tuesday night.
"I heard that today … I don't know the finer details of it (but) hopefully it's not too bad and he won't miss too many games of football because he's a vital piece to our puzzle," Lewis told Fox Footy.
Hill has played in the Hawks' past three premierships and missed just two games last season through concussion and a calf injury.
